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2 Ethical Consumer March/April 2021 g b s windows ad 91x137mm Ethical C dec 2018 FINAL.indd 1 14/12/2018 10:42 ETHICAL CONSUMER Editorial WHO’S WHO This issue is focused on decarbonising It is being fought by the same lawyer THIS ISSUE’S EDITORS Josie Wexler, Ruth Strange, Rob Harrison your home, with guides to heat pumps, who won the 25% cut, who is looking to PROOFING Ciara Maginness (Little Blue Pencil) solar panels, solar thermal and repeat the success with a corporation. WRITERS/RESEARCHERS Jane Turner, Tim Hunt, electricity and gas suppliers. is being prosecuted Rob Harrison, Anna Clayton, Josie Wexler, The biggest priority for consumers is for its role in climate change, with Ruth Strange, Mackenzie Denyer, Clare Carlile, really heating. You can help a little bit, activists demanding not financial Francesca de la Torre, Alex Crumbie, Tom Bryson, Billy Saundry, Jasmine Owens but UK energy generation will mostly compensation, but that it cut emissions REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS Simon Birch, Colin Birch have to be decarbonised at the national by 45% by 2030 from 2019 levels. DESIGN Tom Lynton level, as our big renewable resource lies If Shell loses it could have widespread LAYOUT Adele Armistead (Moonloft), Jane Turner off the coast. And it is largely being done ramifications for how we can force COVER Tom Lynton through regulation. In this area, voting companies to act. Sara Shaw, Climate CARTOONS Marc Roberts, Mike Bryson, Andy Vine with your vote is more important than Justice and Energy program coordinator AD SALES Simon Birch SUBSCRIPTIONS Elizabeth Chater, voting with your wallet. at Friends of the Earth International, Francesca Thomas, Nadine Oliver However, there is only one place one of the NGOs bringing the case, said: PRESS ENQUIRIES Simon Birch, Tim Hunt where you can have a warm home, and “Our hope is that this case sparks a wave ENQUIRIES Francesca Thomas that is at home. Heating is not very of climate litigation that can hold other WEB EDITOR Sophie Billington sexy – it’s hard to feel awe at the austere corporations to account and bring on THANKS ALSO TO Marlous Veldt, Merle Büter, Emma Kerrison, Katy Davies, Alyson Tyler, Joel David beauty of a heat pump or some cavity the end of the fossil fuel age.” Taylor, Katie Percival, Charu Mittal, Fiona Hobson wall insulation. Surveys always show a The verdict on the case is expected All material correct one month before cover date general lack of knowledge or interest in May. and © Ethical Consumer Research Association on decarbonising heating compared to Ltd. ISSN 0955 8608 other areas. But we hope to generate The growth in the Ethical Printed with vegetable ink by RAP Spiderweb Ltd, some more sparks of interest with this Markets c/o the Commercial Centre, Clowes Centre, issue of the magazine, and to let you We also report in this magazine on our Hollinwood, Oldham OL9 7LY. 0161 947 3700 know more about what your options are. latest Ethical Markets report, which PAPER 100% post-consumer waste, chlorine-free We have decided to stop covering gas shows continued rapid growth in and sourced from the only UK paper merchant supplying only recycled papers – Paperback boilers, in recognition of the fact that we ethical-focused buying. And the figures (www.paperbackpaper.co.uk) all need to be getting off them soon if we that are available since the start of the RETAIL DISTRIBUTION is handled by Central Books are to tackle climate change. pandemic seem to suggest that Covid on 0845 458 9911. is only increasing interest in ethical Ethical Consumer is a member of INK consumption. (independent news collective), an association of Taking it to the courts radical and alternative publishers. Climate change is also, increasingly, Like this one, our next magazine will www.ink.uk.com being fought through the courts. By also be mostly covering quite large We are a Living Wage employer, a multi-stakeholder July 2020, there had been 1,587 purchases – we’re going to look at co-op, and Fair Tax Mark accredited. worldwide cases of climate washing machines, dishwashers, litigation.1 Courts have even fridges and cookers. But so begun ordering governments to everyone doesn’t drown in cut emissions: in 2019 the Dutch white goods, we’re going to government lost an appeal in its cover vacuum cleaners and supreme court and was thus beer as well. obliged to cut the Netherlands’ See you then. ABOUT THE ADVERTISERS greenhouse gas emissions ECRA checks out advertisers before accepting their by 25% on 1990 levels by Ref: 1 School of Economics, ads and reserves the right to refuse any advert. the end of 2020. 2020 Global trends in climate COVERED IN PREVIOUS PRODUCT GUIDES We report in the change litigation (189), Green Stationery (185), Infinity Wholefoods (178), Kingfisher Toothpaste (184), electricity guide on page Pacari Chocolates (188), Vegetarian Shoes (185). 16 on another case that is ongoing in the OTHER ADVERTISERS Netherlands, which Big Exchange, Green Building Store, Investing JOSIE WEXLER Ethically, Practical Action, The Gorilla could have important EDITOR Organisation, The Path, Womankind. implications for ethical consumers.

WHAT IS ETHICAL CONSUMER? Democratise the market by enabling Push for wider political action and 2consumers to assert their own ethical 5legislative change. is We are an independent, not-for-profit, multi- values by using our shopping guides. not a replacement for other forms of political stakeholder co-operative founded in 1989 action. But it is an important additional way and based in Manchester. Our primary goal is Have a fully transparent ranking system. All for people to exert their influence. making global businesses more sustainable 3our data is available to subscribers. through consumer pressure. Our mission is to: HOW TO CONTACT US Engage with companies by telling them why Unit 21, 41 Old Birley Street, Manchester, M15 5RF Help consumers to challenge corporate we are buying or not buying their products. 4 0161 226 2929 — 10-5pm 1 power by using their economic vote every We also send them detailed questions about [email protected] — general time they go shopping. their policy and practice on ethical issues. [email protected] — subscriptions

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4 Ethical Consumer March/April 2021 ETHICAL CONSUMER Contents

NEWS FEATURES SHOPPING GUIDES

06 Food & Home 40 Shooting wildlife? Green Home Energy British Sugar and neonicotinoids, Updated report on binoculars and 10 Introduction supermarket plastic, brands sports optics’ links to hunting and the supporting Burma military military 20 Grants for heat pumps and solar thermal 08 Climate No to coal in Cumbria, Barclays and HSBC risk losing customers 40 Gas and electricity 12 Introduction 08 14 Score Table & Best Buys 16 Lawsuits over climate culpability 17 Energy companies’ global exploits 17

09 Clothes Viscose update, stop genocidal trade, 46 Ethical Consumer Markets Boohoo buys Debenhams report The state of the UK ethical market in 31 Ethical Novice 2019 Heating Solar PV 36 Tax justice 21 Introduction #TaxTechNow actions, freeports REGULARS 22 Score Table & Best Buys 37 Money 43 Gift subscriptions 24 Act to support community Action against war on Yemen Give a gift subscription to Ethical schemes Consumer 38 Boycotts 24 Stop Hate for Profit victory, boycott 48 Letters Beijing Olympics A regular forum for readers’ views

39 Almeria campaign 50 Inside view News from Spain The great Brexit fiasco

44 Lush Spring Prize Apply for the 2021 Prize. 50 45 Beyond consumerism From advertising to a craft economy? 44

Heat pumps 26 Introduction 28 Score Table & Best Buys Solar thermal 32 Introduction 34 Score Table & Best Buys

ethicalconsumer.org 5 NEWS Food & Home Silver Spoon sugar linked to Supermarkets treading water in bee-harming pesticide ocean of plastic packaging The UK government has authorised the use of a The third annual plastics survey conducted by the Environmental pesticide believed to kill bees, despite an EU ban, Investigation Agency and Greenpeace UK showed that the 10 leading following lobbying from British Sugar (Silver Spoon supermarkets collectively put almost 900,000 tonnes of plastic packaging brand) and the National Farmers’ Union (NFU). The on the market in 2019 – that’s the equivalent weight of almost 90 Eiffel EU banned use of most neonicotinoids on outdoor Towers. crops in 2018 after widespread campaigning EIA Senior 2018 2019 highlighted the danger to declining bee populations. Campaigner Greenpeace has called the decision “short-sighted Christina Dixon and dangerous”. A third of all bee populations said: “We had – which help in the pollination of apples, beans, hoped to see a squashes and other crops grown in the UK – are in much sharper decline, according to the campaign organisation. downwards Studies have found that significant declines in trajectory as some British bee populations coincided with the strategies and introduction of the pesticide, which was widely used targets bear before the 2018 ban. fruit. Instead, we British Sugar is part of the Associated British are looking at a Foods group, which also owns the consumer brands: relatively static Twinings, Kingsmill, Allinson, Patak’s, Jordans, picture which Sunblest, Burgen, Jacksons of Piccadilly, Dorset represents a drop Cereals, Primark and Meena. The group receives an in the ocean of ethical score of just 3.5. tackling plastic The high profile of its Silver Spoon brand, coupled pollution. The with the product’s clear link to the pesticide in sector urgently question, and with a widespread opposition to bee- needs to pick up harming pesticides among consumers, may make the pace of plastic reduction.” this a decision the company comes to regret. The survey also found that more than 1.58 billion plastic ‘bags for life’ (which contain more plastic than thinner single-use bags) were issued in 2019, a 4.5 per cent increase over 2018. This represents almost 57 bags per TAKE ACTION UK household during the year. l Avoid the Silver Spoon brand and tell the A key recommendation of Checking Out on Plastics III is for company why. Silver Spoon have a contact form on supermarkets to devise strategies which include specific targets for their website: www.silverspoon.co.uk/get-in-touch increasing reusable and refillable packaging and delivery systems, both in- as well as a twitter account: @BritishSugar. store and online, as a way to reduce unnecessary plastic packaging. l Sign the Greenpeace petition asking the Nina Schrank, Senior Plastics Campaigner at Greenpeace UK, said: “All Environment Secretary to enforce a total ban on supermarkets should follow Sainsbury’s, and now Aldi, in committing to neonicotinoids – https://secure.greenpeace.org.uk/ reduce plastic packaging by 50 per cent by 2025, at the very least. How bees-share-friends these commitments are met is also crucial. Half of that reduction should come from reuse and refill systems, so we can ensure that packaging stays in those systems and out of the environment.” Greenpeace is calling for 25% of packaging to be reusable by 2025, and Fairtrade Fortnight 50% reusable by 2030.

This year the fortnight runs between 22 February and 7 March. It TAKE ACTION will highlight the growing challenges l Read and download that climate change brings to Checking Out on Plastics III farmers and workers in the at https://eia-international. communities Fairtrade works with org/wp-content/uploads/ such as those in Kenya, Ethiopia Checking-Out-on-Plastics- and Honduras. III-FINAL.pdf Fairtrade Foundation will be hosting an online l Sign the petition and festival bringing together schools, universities, tell UK supermarkets businesses, supporters, campaigners and farmers to ditch throwaway from across the world to “choose the world they plastic packaging - www. want”. greenpeace.org.uk/news/ l Go to www.fairtrade.org.uk/get-involved/current- supermarket-plastic- campaigns/fairtrade-fortnight/ to find out more. league-table-rankings l Check out our shopping guides on our website which feature Fairtrade products – chocolate, coffee, References: 1 Changing Markets Foundation, 2020. Talking Trash: the corporate playbook of false solutions to the tea and bananas. plastic crisis - https://talking-trash.com

6 Ethical Consumer March/April 2021 NEWS Food & Home Are your products linked to the military behind Burma’s coup?

On 1st February, the Burmese military staged another coup. have continued to They seized control of the country detaining Aung San Suu Kyi do business with the (who won a 70% majority in the recent election) and handing military, according to power over to their commander-in-chief, Min Aung Hlaing. Burma Campaign UK. Despite multiple warnings and decades of human rights abuses, Tata manufactures the owners of Tetley tea and Fourpure, Little Creatures and Kirin military equipment, Ichiban breweries remain involved with the military behind the which it sells to the Burmese military. coup. It provides personnel carriers, as well “It is an absolute no brainer that companies should not be as SUVs, that are used by some of the doing business with a military that is committing genocide and country’s top generals.1 holding coups,” Mark Farmaner, director of Burma Campaign UK said. Civilians in the country, which is also known as Myanmar, TAKE ACTION face curfews, internet blackouts and ongoing refusal of their democratic and civil rights. l In our next issue, we are updating our shopping guide to beer The coup follows a long history of violence and suppression so you can check out some alternatives to Kirin brands by the Burmese military, which ruled the country as a l There is a shopping guide to tea on our website for alternatives dictatorship from 1962 – 2010, and has remained powerful in to Tetley. the decade since. It has been the perpetrator of genocide against l For the full story and for a template email to Kirin craft beer the Rohingya Muslim population of Rakhine state – causing over brands asking them to end ties with the military, see our website. 700,000 people to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh. Despite this, Tata (part owner of Tetley tea and Jaguar Land Rover cars) and Kirin (owner of Kirin Ichiban, Fourpure and Reference: 1 https://action.burmacampaign.org.uk/tata-make-tetley-tea-and-equipment- Little Creatures beers, and part owner of Brooklyn Brewery) burma%E2%80%99s-military NEWS IN BRIEF

French vegan Tony’s Chocolonely’s four look-a- restaurant gets like bars are to raise awareness Michelin star and inspire the chocolate industry to act. A vegan restaurant in Ares, near Bordeaux has become the first in the country to get a Michelin star. Claire Vallée runs the restaurant ONA – which stands for Origine Non Animale – Two new which she launched in 2016 thanks to crowdfunding from supporters and a loan Best Buy from a green bank after having trouble Labels getting funding from a traditional bank. Let’s make slave-free There aren’t any vegan restaurants Last month, two of our Best with a Michelin star in the UK though chocolate the law Buy companies began to some Michelin-starred restaurants now A recommended brand from last magazine’s display our Ethical Consumer offer vegan menus. Chocolate guide, Tony’s Chocolonely, has launched Best Buy Label on their a campaign demanding that governments hold products: companies accountable by law for illegal child labour l Gusto soft drinks and modern slavery in their supply chains. l Chocolat Madagascar As we said in our guide, even though chocolate Look out for them companies signed the Harkin-Engel protocol in 2001 when you go to eliminate child labour, little progress has been shopping, or made over 20 years. indeed when you Sign the petition https://tonyschocolonely.com/ stay in and shop petition and check out our chocolate guide. online!

ethicalconsumer.org 7 NEWS Climate Barclays and HSBC’s risky One coal mine too many business A survey of customers who bank with Barclays and HSBC shows that these banks risk losing up to three million customers if they continue financing fossil fuels. An online survey was carried out by ICM Unlimited on behalf of Market Forces, an organisation campaigning to stop banks from financing environmental damage. Its findings suggest that Barclays and HSBC benefit from a low level of awareness of their climate impacts, with four fifths (80%) of customers unaware that their bank is investing in fossil fuels. When faced with the facts, however, the survey reveals that over one in ten (12.5%) customers say they would be very likely to consider switching banks. This would be the equivalent of three million customers leaving HSBC and Barclays for more Extinction Rebellion’s Green Brigade staged their protest outside the county council offices in Kendal in February 2020. ethical alternatives.1 Barclays and HSBC have collectively invested over £149 Despite the UK Government’s recent announcements to cut billion in coal, gas, oil, tar sands and fracking since the Paris greenhouse gas emissions and achieve net zero by 2050,4 it has Climate Agreement was signed in 2015, making them the refused to intervene in Cumbria County Council's decision to seventh and twelfth worst banks in the world respectively, and approve a deep coal mine in Whitehaven – the first facility of its the two worst in Europe, for financing climate change. kind to gain planning approval in 30 years. The polling results come as both banks have come under The government could have called for an inquiry but pressure to rapidly phase out investment in fossil fuels from has chosen not to do so. Communities Secretary Robert their portfolios, with many shareholders and activists pointing Jenrick reportedly sent a letter to councillors stating that the out the bank’s funding of fossil fuels is inconsistent with their Government is "committed to giving more power to councils to stated support for the Paris Climate Agreement and their recent make their own decisions on planning issues." ‘net zero by 2050’ pledges. The mine plans to remove 2.5 million tonnes of coal from Leading personal finance expert and founder of the Young beneath the Irish Sea every year for the production of steel in the Money Blog, Iona Bain, commented: “One of the most effective UK and Europe. things we can do as consumers to fight climate change is to More than 2,300 people have objected to the plan since 2017 demand that our money is invested sustainably ... If you are in addition to campaign organisations that include Friends of one of the millions of customers of HSBC and Barclays who is the Earth, Keep Cumbrian Coal in the Hole (KCCH) and the World horrified to learn that your money is being invested in fossil Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).5 fuels, there are plenty of great ethical alternatives out there Critics of the project argue and switching is very straightforward. And don’t leave quietly! that the mine could stifle TAKE ACTION Tell your bank exactly why you are leaving to send a powerful progress towards aligning the message to the industry that their time for destroying the UK’s steel sector with the 2050 End the era of coal environment is up”. net-zero target and that, quite Sign the petition calling on For more information and to take action see Ethical simply, one new coal mine is the UK government to “Stop Consumer’s guides to finance and visit Bank On Our Future’s one too many. plans for a new coal mine in website: bankonourfuture.uk/action Cumbria now and commit to end the era of coal in the UK.” https://secure. greenpeace.org.uk/page/s/ uk-govt-no-new-coal

Kick polluters out of COP26 Sign the petition to kick polluters out of COP26, the annual UN climate conference: https://act.350. org/sign/kick-polluters- out-of-COP26

References: 1 Calculations are based on figures taken from Barclays UK Performance Review 2017 and HSBC Annual Report and Accounts 2019 2 www.theguardian.com/ business/2020/nov/30/shell-in-court-over- claims-it-hampered-fossil-fuels-phase-out 3 www.foei.org/press_releases/shell-climate- case-hearings-conclude 4 www.gov.uk/ government/news/uk-sets-ambitious-new- climate-target-ahead-of-un-summit 5 www. edie.net/news/11/Cumbria-coal-mine-- Government-refuses-to-block-UK-s-first-deep- coal-mine-in-three-decades

8 Ethical Consumer March/April 2021 NEWS Clothes #StopGenocidalTrade

DIRTY FASHION Labour Behind the Label is asking people to show their support for a trade bill ARE FASHION BRANDS ACTING ON POLLUTION? amendment which would allow UK courts to decide whether genocide was being A new report, ‘Dirty Fashion: Crunch Some key highlights from the report: committed. This could prevent the UK Time’, ranks fashion brands on how well l ASOS, C&A, Esprit, M&S, Reformation entering trade deals with states even if they are preventing pollution in their and Tesco were among the most the UN has not officially recognised their supply chain, particularly in relation to transparent and were found to have actions as genocidal. viscose. “published extensive lists of their viscose In the region of China, the Viscose, a common fibre used manufacturers on their corporate Uyghur people are being subjected to in clothing, is made from trees and websites, including the names and, in multiple atrocities, including sterilisation, plants, and has the potential to be very some cases, full addresses of factories”. detention in ‘re-education’ camps and sustainable. Unfortunately, it is often l Both budget and designer brands being forced to pick cotton that ends up created using highly toxic chemicals were given the worst ranking: Armani, supplying much of the global fashion which can find their way into water Dolce & Gabbana, Prada and Versace rub industry. Claims of genocide have been systems, threatening the health of shoulders with sports giant Nike and low- brought to the International Criminal Court ecosystems and local people. cost retailers Costco, Forever 21, TJ/TK (ICC). The ICC made a request for further The Changing Markets Foundation, Maxx and Walmart. evidence in December 2020 and kept the who produced the report, responded to Poorly performing case open but has not made a ruling.4 the problem by creating the Roadmap companies will be Labour Behind the Label states: “Human to Responsible Viscose and Model Fibre marked down under rights groups have said that the fashion Manufacturing, with support from our Pollution and industry is virtually complicit in the Ethical Consumer and other campaign Toxics category. [Uyghur] forced labour. The upcoming organisations. ‘Dirty Fashion: Crunch You can find Trade Bill amendment could grant Time’ assesses the progress of signatories out more and [] the right to petition British to the roadmap as well as those fashion take action at courts.” brands that are yet to sign up. dirtyfashion.info. Ask your MP to support the bill here: genocideresponse.org Major shake-up of UK fashion industry

There is some major reorganising going on in the fast fashion industry with the collapse and acquisition of some big brands. Debenhams, which had been in trouble for a while, has been acquired by none other than Boohoo in a £55 million deal. Boohoo will not be retaining Debenhams’ stores – resulting in an estimated 12,000 job losses.1 The takeover will not actually have a huge effect on Ethical Consumer score tables as Debenhams (which was part owned by Barclays Bank) already had a score of 3, just below Boohoo’s score of 4. Impacts from Covid, on top of a decade of closures and losses, has also seen the sudden collapse of Arcadia Group.2 It is again an online-only retailer that has snapped up the failing high-street brands, with ASOS acquiring Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and HIIT from Arcadia in a £305 million deal. It is expected to lead to the loss of up to 70 stores and thousands of jobs.3 Again, this won’t result in a dramatic change to our score tables, with ASOS having a marginally higher score of 8, compared to Arcadia Group’s 6.5. As we went to press, Boohoo announced it had bought the Dorothy Perkins, Wallis and Burton brands and online businesses from Arcadia with the further loss of 2,450 workers and closure of the high street shops.5

References: 1 www.theguardian.com/business/2021/jan/25/debenhams-close-stores-job-losses-boohoo-shops-covid-19 2 www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55139369 3 www.bbc.co.uk/news/ business-55884596 4 www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/11/international-criminal-icc-china-uighur-genocide-claims 5 www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55977587

ethicalconsumer.org 9 SHOPPING GUIDE

Heat and power your home without fossil fuels

JOSIE WEXLER introduces four new shopping guides designed to help you understand the main options on your road to a zero-carbon home. e have, as a country, officially signed up to Electricity completely decarbonise the UK by 2050. This means that we have 29 years to get all key sectors There is ongoing movement in the right direction. Renewable to net zero: electricity, transport, heating, industry, electricity generation in total grew by 9% since 2018, to 37%, Wfood and land use. with onshore and offshore wind generation rising by 7% and People have been producing proposals as to how to do 20% respectively.3 it for many years now. The main official body that advises This is the sector in which the UK is doing best. But even this the government on it: the (CCC), looks better than it is, because we don’t just need to decarbonise produced one in 2019, and has just released another. In 2019, it 100% of our electricity. If we’re going to start using electricity for calculated that it was possible to do it at a “manageable” cost – heating and transport, we need to decarbonise 200% of it. 1-2% of GDP each year.1 Much electricity decarbonisation needs to be done at the It also reports to parliament on how we are doing. And it has national level – offshore wind is the UK’s really big renewable not been complementary of late. We are missing nearly all our resource. But you can help by getting solar PV panels, which targets, and it really doesn’t look like a serious attempt is being we cover on page 21, and supporting companies that are doing made to rectify that. Given what we have committed to do, the more to help build renewables, covered on page 12. measures in place to do it are profoundly inadequate. Consumers may thus need to take more of the lead. This References: 1 CCC, 2019, Net Zero – Technical Report, https://www.theccc.org.uk/ publication/net-zero-technical-report 2 BEIS, 2019, UK Energy Statistics, 2019 & Q4 2019 3 magazine is focused on the green home – what consumers can BEIS, 2019, UK Energy Statistics, 2019 & Q4 2019 4 CCC, 2019, Net Zero – Technical Report, https://www.theccc.org.uk/publication/net-zero-technical-report 5 Committee on Climate do on electricity and heating. Change, 2016, Next Steps for UK Heat Policy

10 Ethical Consumer March/April 2021 During 2019, UK grid electricity Other heating options – bioenergy came from the following:2 Bioenergy is any fuel from plant or animal matter, including l 41% gas wood, alcohol, and biogas. We’re currently using some l 3% oil for heating – some people run biomass boilers, and some l 2% coal companies inject biogas into the gas grid. l 17% nuclear Unfortunately, bioenergy has a huge problem, which is the l 11% bioenergy amount of land that growing it takes up. This has led to a lot l 10% onshore of concern about whether it is being produced sustainably or wind whether it is encouraging people to clear virgin habitat. l 10% offshore It also leads to the macro-level issue – whatever we do, there wind is only ever going to be a very limited amount of biofuel available. l 4% solar PV And absolutely everyone wants it. They want it because it is l 2% hydro functionally identical to fossil fuel (fossil fuels are just biofuels that were made a very long time ago) and, as any heroin addict moving onto methadone knows, when you’re trying to kick an Heating – addiction, the easiest thing to wean yourself onto is the next nearest thing. cutting demand That is why, in the long term, bioenergy really needs to be Heating accounts for about a third of UK territorial greenhouse allocated to the areas which need it the most – where there are emissions (“territorial” means that it excludes imported no other options. The CCC, like nearly everyone else, concludes goods). Our housing is old, leaky, and hopelessly dependent on that using much bioenergy for heating “is not the long-term best fossil fuels – around 85% of UK homes use gas boilers. use of finite bioenergy resources”. It calculates that biogas could Pretty much everyone agrees that the first priority has to be sustainably provide about 5% of our heating needs.5 This includes insulation. The CCC thinks that cutting heating demand by a biogas from waste. quarter is realistic. This includes insulation in millions of lofts, As a result of these issues, we decided to stop covering biomass cavity walls and solid walls. boilers. There are government schemes to help pay for insulation – see page 20. And if you pay about £50, you can get an energy performance assessor to identify your options. (www.gov.uk/ Other heating options – solar find-an-energy-assessor) Another way you can try to reduce your heating demand thermal, hydrogen, district heating is by using smart heating controls, which can automatically Solar thermal is a good technology but is limited – it can only adjust heating – sometimes room by room – from a phone or supply a proportion of your heating needs, so you’d need to computer. combine it with something else. We cover it on pages 32-35. Another option is hydrogen, which could be pumped down the gas grid. Companies are starting to make ‘hydrogen-ready’ gas Heating options – boilers, which could switch over to burning it. But unfortunately, there’s quite a bit more to it than that. The CCC puts it like this: electricity and gas “When technical feasibility is demonstrated and decisions Once we’ve reduced heat demand as much as we can, we then made, production (primarily from natural gas) will require a need to supply the rest. significant infrastructure programme to build dedicated new Most scenarios envisage electric heat pumps being the hydrogen transmission pipelines, hydrogen storage capacity (e.g. backbone of a decarbonised UK heating system because they salt caverns), large volumes of CCS [carbon capture and storage] are around three times more efficient than a standard electric and hydrogen production capacity.” heater.4 We cover them on pages 26-29. They will cut your It concludes that once you’ve factored in everything, hydrogen emissions immediately, by a significant amount, but they aren’t is unlikely to be cheaper for society than heat pumps. So it cheap, although you can get help with the cost. only uses it for a small number of homes in its scenario, in As for direct electric heating – it can play a small role, combination with a hybrid heat pump. although if everyone used it then it would require an implausible The only other option left is low-carbon heat networks, which amount of electricity. While it has traditionally been regarded can be heated by waste heat from industry or decarbonised power as much worse for the climate than gas, the grid has now stations, or communal heat pumps. The CCC calculates that they decarbonised enough that high-heat retention storage heaters, could work for about five million homes. which you can heat up at night when the grid is least carbon intensive, are starting to get more ambiguous. But they won’t reduce your emissions yet. Conclusion We decided to stop covering gas boilers in Ethical Consumer – the boilers last for about 15 years, so buying one now will It isn’t easy to keep homes warm and light without burning that probably lock you into gas heating for a while. We do really need congealed ancient sunlight that was just handily lying around in to be getting off gas. The government appears to agree, as they the form of coal and gas and oil. But as one recent report put it: are to be banned in new build homes from 2023 (just brought “decarbonisation of heating for the UK’s existing housing stock forward from 2025). However, if you do want to get a gas boiler, is possible, and can be achieved with average net investment of most of the companies that make them also make heat pumps or less than £10,000 per home”. Our guides will lead you through are also covered in other guides. the options. SHOPPING GUIDE Electricity & gas suppliers Greening your electricity and gas

CLARE CARLILE and JOSIE WEXLER while continuing to explain what to look for when funnel 90% of its capital into fossil fuels. Shell and RWE (15% owner of choosing your supplier. E.ON) are both being sued by those on the frontline of climate breakdown. he UK is taking steps in the right direction on electricity: about 37% of UK electricity now How meaningful are comes from renewables, and the Tamount is slowly growing (see page 10). green tariffs? Yet, much more needs to be done. We have written before about the Friends of the Earth states that 75% of our issues with ‘green tariffs’, because electricity must come from clean energy they operate on so many levels of sources by 2030 if the UK is to meet its Meanwhile, detachment from physical reality. legally binding commitment to zero the number of Not only does everyone get the same emissions by 2050. tariffs claiming physical electricity from the same grid, renewable electricity but the way the regulatory system credentials has is set up means that we all pay very Changes in the energy boomed, increasing similar renewable subsidies through from 9% to over 50% our bills, whatever tariff we are on. market in just four years. The This makes it hard to trace a causal The energy market has changed largest energy companies line between buying a green tariff, considerably since we last updated this in the UK now offer green – even from a specific company guide. tariffs for domestic and/or small – and any more money going to Many of the small companies in our business customers. Many smaller building renewables. last guide have been bought out by larger, companies specialising in ‘green’ We think that there are less ethical ones. A lot of other electricity energy have entered the market companies that are doing a companies have either been selling up or and seen huge growth in recent bit more, which are worth going bust. Two of our previous best buys years. supporting, as detailed below. were amongst them: Robin Hood has been Several of the large companies But we suggest that it isn’t sold to British Gas and Bristol Energy to have also sold off their fossil fuel really worth thinking in Together Energy, assets or are investing in renewables. terms of individual tariffs. resulting in falling Yet, the majority of ‘renewable energy’ Ultimately, which tariff you A fully referenced scores and the loss tariffs make flimsy claims, with only are on is just a matter of version of of their best-buy a handful actually contributing to the someone having shuffled this Product status. energy transition in the UK. The worst some numbers around on Guide is on our website of the bunch, , offers 100% a computer screen. © Marianne Campolongo | Dreamstime.com © Marianne Campolongo

12 Ethical Consumer March/April 2021 REGOs the population are on green tariffs. This renewables themselves or buying One confusing aspect of the system is means that there are far more REGOs renewable electricity through ‘power REGOs. Each bit of renewable electricity kicking around than anyone wants, and purchase agreements’ (PPAs), which give created generates a certificate called a even though the big companies have generators security. REGO, which can then be sold separately started doing green tariffs again, prices If companies are selling electricity as from it. Legally, in order to call its are still very low, at around 30p-50p per ‘green’ we think that they should be either electricity ‘100% renewable’, a company certificate. This equates to only around building renewables, with a commitment just has to buy an equivalent amount 1% of the wholesale cost of electricity, to not build any further fossil-fuelled of REGOs. It doesn’t have to produce, so the subsidy they supply is extremely plant, or they should be buying sufficient or even buy, any renewable electricity minimal. renewable electricity through purchasing itself. We therefore don’t consider that PPAs to cover 100% of customers’ The idea behind REGOs is that selling buying REGOs is a meaningful way to electricity use. them should provide a small subsidy support renewable energy development. We awarded marks to the companies to renewable developers, although that did this. Those that passed were renewables get other larger subsidies Making a meaningful difference Ecotricity, , Green Energy as well. However, the problem is that There are two things that companies UK. These companies are marked in about 37% of UK electricity now comes can do which we do consider makes green in the table on the left. from renewables, while only about 1% of a meaningful difference – building Ofgem appears to be roughly in agreement with us. It ENERGY FUEL MIX AND STEPS TAKEN TO BUILD RENEWABLE CAPACITY has issued Ecotricity, Good Energy and Green Energy UK Contribution to renewable Brand Coal Gas Nuclear Renewable Other capacity building in the UK with a permanent exemption to the 20% generated through owned Ecotricity - - - 100% - renewables. Remainder purchased via bill price cap, on PPAs. the basis that “by Green Energy UK - - - 100% - All electricity purchased through PPAs. consumers being on the tariff, support is Good Energy - - - 100% - All electricity purchased through PPAs. given to renewables Some electricity purchased through PPAs to an extent that is Bulb - - - 100% - (proportion unknown). materially greater Co-op Energy - - - 100% - Supplied by Octopus Energy. than that which is Octopus is an investor in renewables brought about as and it does own a small amount of its result of subsidies, own. However, it is 20% owned by Octopus Energy - - - 100% - Origin Energy the largest owner obligations or of natural gas-fired power stations in other mandatory Australia. mechanisms.” 20% purchased through PPAs for OVO Octopus Energy OVO Energy - - - 100% - energy customers (rather than group). 40% target by end 2021. (which also supplies Co-op Energy) is likely Electricity backed by PPAs from projects directly invested in by consumer. not on the Ofgem list Ripple Energy - - - 100% - Remaining electricity supplied by Octopus because it does not Energy, via Co-op Energy. source 100% of the Shell Energy - - - 100% - None renewable energy for its tariffs from PPAs SSE Energy - - - 100% - None. Supplied by OVO Energy. or owned generation. Together Energy - - - 100% - None However, its 50% British Gas - - 24% 76% - All electricity for Green Future tariff owner is one of the purchased through PPAs. largest investors in E.ON 4% 42% 5% 46% 3% Generating energy through biomass renewables in Europe, plants. and the company People’s Energy 0.2% 3% 0.3% 97% - None itself has recently EDF 3.5% 9.3% 66.6% 20.5% 0.1% None started generating some of its own * ~6% ~65% ~7% ~17% ~5% None renewable power in PFP 6% 72% 8% 8% 5% None the UK. We think this is worth supporting. 5% 50% 6% 36% 4% All renewable electricity purchased using PPAs. Ripple has a Utilita 6% 72% 8% 8% 5% None different business Utility Warehouse 6% 72% 8% 8% 5% None model altogether, which you can read Data correct as at Jan 2021. *Npower discloses its fuel energy mix broken down by regional supplier. The estimates here are an average of the figures given. about in Companies **The information in this table is taken from company websites and completed questionnaires, from December-January 2021. behind the brands on Meaningfully contributing to renewable capacity building for all energy supplied. No/limited meaningful contribution. page 19. Some fossil fuels or nuclear in energy fuel mix. >5% from coal and/or % renewable below UK grid average (37%). ethicalconsumer.org 13 SHOPPING GUIDE Electricity & gas suppliers

USING THE TABLES Environment Animals People Politics +ve USING THE TABLES Ethiscore: the higher the score, the Positive ratings (+ve): better the company. Scored out of 14. Company Ethos: Plus up to 1 extra point for Company = full mark Ethos and up to 5 extra points for e Product Sustainability. E = half mark Green (good) = 12+ Product Sustainability: Amber (average) = 11.5–5 Various positive marks available Red (poor) = 4.5–0 depending on sector. H = worst rating h = middle rating = best rating/no criticisms found Best Buys are highlighted in blue

BRAND 14 + 6 extras) (out of Ethiscore Reporting Environmental Change Climate & Toxics Pollution Habitats & Resources Oil Palm Animal Testing Farming Factory Animal Rights Human Rights Rights Workers’ Chain Management Supply Marketing Irresponsible Arms & Military Supply Technologies Controversial Call Boycott Activity Political Finance Anti-Social Conduct Tax Ethos Company Sustainability Product COMPANY GROUP Green Energy UK [A] 14 H 1 Green Energy (UK) Plc Good Energy [A] 13 H h h 1 Good Energy/Green Britain Group

People's Energy 13 H H e People’s Energy CIC Bulb 12.5 H H E Simple Energy Limited Ecotricity [A, Vg] 12.5 H h h H h 2 Green Britain Group Together Energy 12.5 H H 0.5 Together Energy Limited PFP Energy 11.5 H H h Sands Investments Limited

Ripple (investment-based) [A] 11.5 h H h h h E Octopus/Midcounties/Ripple Octopus Energy [A] 11 H H h h Octopus Group Utilita 11 H H h h Utilita Group Limited Utility Warehouse 11 H H h h plc Co-op Energy [A] 8.5 h H h h h h h h h h h E Octopus/Midcounties Co-op E.ON 8.5 h H h H H h H E.ON S.E Npower 8.5 h H h H H h H E.ON S.E. EDF 8 h H H H H h H Electricité de France SA Scottish Power 7.5 h H h h H h H H h Iberdrola S.A. British Gas 7 h H H h h H H h H Plc Ovo Energy 7 h H h h h h h h h H h h OVO Group Ltd SSE 7 h H h h h h h h h H h h OVO Group Ltd Shell Energy 2 h H H H H H H H h h h H H H Royal Dutch Shell plc

All the research behind these ratings is available for subscribers to see on the score tables on www.ethicalconsumer.org Definitions of all the categories are at www.ethicalconsumer.org/our-ethical-ratings [A] = tariff has some additionality [Vg] = electricity & gas certified as vegan m nsu er o .o c r l g Best Buys are decided by the editorial team based on the research we have undertaken, the scoring system and the unique insight into the issues a

c

i that our editorial team has. 9 times out of 10 this will be the brand (or brands) that are top of the table but sometimes an ethical company which

h

t e is truly innovative scores less well on our rigid scoring system and we use the Best Buy and Recommended section to acknowledge this. Y BES T BU A company cannot be a Best Buy if it scores worst for Supply Chain Management.

All tariffs burn fossil fuels at the same rate

Whatever company you buy from, however, the most important thing to be aware of is that the electricity you use still has the same carbon footprint – currently 0.26 kg

CO2e per kWh. It basically works like this – if you are on a green tariff and you turn your kettle on, some renewable electricity will be taken (on paper) from the electricity account of someone on a standard tariff and transferred to yours. Then a gas-fired power station will be turned up in order to replace it. In other words, your turning your kettle on causes a gas-fired power station to be turned up to supply it, just the same amount as when anyone else does it. The electricity system is ultimately a shared thing. Most of the decisions about it are being made at the governmental level, and the cost of decarbonising it is being shared between everyone in the country. So, while it is good to buy from one of the companies that is making more of an effort to help, the key things are to keep minimising your energy use, and to keep pushing for political action.

14 Ethical Consumer March/April 2021 m nsu er o .o c r l g

a

c

Table highlights Renewables purchasing i

h Companies got a positive Product BEST t

e Y Carbon management and Sustainability mark where we considered BUYS BE U reporting they were making a ‘meaningful S T B Our new carbon management and contribution’ to renewable energy reporting rating really separates the development, and were not involved in The Best Buys are green tariff good from the poor companies in fossil fuels. We considered a meaningful companies that are also building this guide. Companies automatically contribution to be either owning or renewable energy capacity. received a worst rating if they owned building their own renewables, or fossil fuel-fired power stations and sourcing 100% of their renewable Our Best Buys are Good Energy, Green had no published commitment not to electricity through ‘power purchase Energy UK and Ecotricity which are build any new ones. (No companies agreements’ (PPAs). These were: all helping to build new sources of that currently owned fossil fuel-fired Ecotricity, Good Energy, Green Energy UK. renewable energy. power stations were found to have a Other companies claiming to offer commitment of this kind.) Conversely, ‘renewable’ tariffs but just purchasing Green companies received our best rating if energy via REGOs lost half a mark their entire model was geared towards under Climate Change for meaningless Energy UK energy transition, i.e. if they were environmental claims. primarily supporting new sources of 14 green energy. For all other companies, Lobbying against climate action we rated them as usual on their carbon While an increasing number of companies management and reporting. are putting on a public show of supporting Ecotricity, Good Energy, Green Energy renewables, some also continue to be UK and Ripple all received our best involved in lobbying against climate Good rating. Every other company in this guide action in private. EDF and Shell have both Energy Ecotricity received a worst rating. been criticised for their membership of industry lobby groups that are known to 13 12.5 Energy fuel mix have opposed robust climate measures. Companies also lost half a mark under Shell was found to be a member of eight Climate Change if their fuel mix was over trade organisations opposing action just 5% from coal, or less than the national in Australia and the USA. Both companies average from renewables (37%). lost a full mark under Political Activities.

Green tariffs and offsetting RECOMMENDED Many ‘green’ tariffs offer tree planting Mozambique and Amigos da Terra África as part of your package, while others do Sul, signed an open letter stating: claim to provide ‘carbon neutral gas’ “solving the climate crisis requires deep, Ripple is recommended if investing through offsetting emissions. However, urgent and immediate emissions cuts, enough to cover 100% of your energy. many forms of offsetting – including which means that dirty and harmful It is an innovative company, that allows planting trees – are deeply controversial energy must be held at source and cannot consumers to part-own a new wind and often ineffective. Trees do absorb simply be ‘compensated’ [for] in other farm. carbon slowly while growing. However, parts of the world.” See ‘Companies behind the brands’ on once at maximum size they only sit and In fact, investing in renewables is page 19. hold it while the forest remains there. one of a few forms of ‘offset’ that works. If the land is ever cleared the carbon is Energy companies would do much more released back into the atmosphere. for the planet if they focused on this, Forestry offsetting projects have also rather than planting trees. been linked to human rights abuses. If you do decide to look at a company People have been evicted to make way for that claims to have carbon-neutral gas tree planting, violating indigenous rights. or to offset some of your non-renewable In 2019, Shell was criticised for the energy, we’d advise checking carefully carbon offsetting scheme it used as what form of offsetting they use. part of its emissions reduction plan. Six We discuss carbon offsetting in more BRANDS TO AVOID NGOs, including Justiça Ambiental in detail on our website. Shell Energy claims to have a 100% renewable tariff, but continues to pump 90% of its capital into fossil fuels. SWITCHING TARIFFS EDF, Npower, PFP, Utilita and Utility has a step-by-step guide to switching suppliers on its website: Warehouse all also have a fuel mix www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/energy/energy-supply/get-a-better-energy- with less than the UK average from deal/switching-energy-supplier renewables.

ethicalconsumer.org 15 SHOPPING GUIDE Electricity & gas suppliers Fossil fuel companies sued for climate breakdown

Led by Friends of the Earth Netherlands, the suit represents “17,379 Dutch co-plaintiffs, around a million global supporters from 70 countries,” and six other Dutch organisations. It will argue that Shell knew of climate change since at least the 1950s and its large-scale consequences since 1986; yet invested in public relations campaigns that misled the public about Shell’s intentions and lobbied against climate action and policies. It will demand that Shell cut emissions by 45% by 2030 from 2019 levels. A verdict is expected 26 May 2021. The company is also being sued for its climate impacts in the Philippines’ Commission on Human Rights. Meanwhile, RWE (15% owner of E.ON) is being sued by Saúl Luciano Lliuya, a Peruvian farmer and mountain guide whose Saúl Luciano Lliuya is suing RWE over its role in climate breakdown, home is threatened by climate breakdown. Saúl lives in Huaraz, which is threatening to flood his home as Lake Palcacocha rises.

© Germanwatch.org which has been threatened by flooding from a local lake as water levels rise due to melting glaciers. He is amongst 120,000 Recent lawsuits against companies in this guide could change local residents, whose livelihoods could be destroyed if the lake the legal landscape for global emitters. floods. Environmental activists in the Netherlands took Shell to court Saúl is suing RWE in the German courts for €17,000, 0.47% of in December, accusing the company of knowingly undermining the protective measures he needs – the same percentage as the global climate targets. The case states that Shell has violated share of greenhouse gas emissions for which RWE is responsible Articles 2 and 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights since the start of industrialisation. If successful, the case could (the right to life and the right to family), by failing to take action set a legal precedent for those impacted by climate breakdown in line with the Paris Agreement targets. around the world.

Energy prices and off your bill each winter. The following suppliers are part of the scheme: British fuel poverty Gas, Bulb, Coop Energy, EDF Energy, Energy prices have risen considerably Npower, Octopus, OVO, Scottish Power, over the last two decades. Shell Energy, SSE, Utilita and Utility One in ten households in England and Warehouse. Ecotricity and Green Energy Wales are now in fuel poverty, meaning UK support it for the ‘core’ low-income that if they heat their homes adequately, pensioner group. they will be left below the poverty line. In Scotland this rises to one in four. It makes the UK one of the worst countries for fuel Energy prices and poverty in all of Western Europe. Over thirty people in the UK die every day from renewables living in a cold home. So why have renewables not yet driven should instead ring-fence the VAT from consumer prices down? Government action gas sales, to be “redistributed to low- Renewable generation is now cheaper Since 2017, the government has income homes and used to install energy- than fossil fuel – with solar the cheapest introduced a series of energy price caps, efficiency measures and low-carbon means of generating electricity in history. limiting the amount that suppliers can heating systems.” However, renewables still only account charge for those on default or standard for, on average, 37% of our grid makeup, variable tariffs or prepayment meters. Avoiding high prices and fossil fuel prices are expected to keep However, much more needs to be done. From a consumer perspective, switching rising. One of the key government measures energy providers frequently can save Unfortunately, “Whichever plant was to tackle high consumer energy prices money. Providers often entice customers required to meet the last megawatt of is the reduced VAT rate on domestic through cheap rates that usually last for demand is the price-setting technology,” electricity and gas, at 5% rather than the one year, but then automatically switch according to Tom Edwards, senior normal 20%. But critics say the tax break them onto a higher tariff, once the initial modeler for Cornwall Insight. While the essentially acts as an electricity subsidy, contract is over. UK grid still relies heavily on gas, it is encouraging higher energy use, and since Citizens Advice has a price comparison often this that will set the price. gas still makes up 41% of the grid, a lot of tool to check whether you could be getting In the long run, turning to renewables it is going to fossil fuels.” cheaper energy: https://energycompare. instead could cut consumer prices. But Libby Peake, Head of resource policy citizensadvice.org.uk in the meantime, the government needs at Green Alliance says that the tax break Low-income pensioners or low- to provide support for up-front transition “maintains the high-carbon status income households also qualify for costs, in a way that supports those on the quo and does little to help those in fuel government support known as the Warm lowest income. poverty,” and argues that the government Home Discount, which is currently £140

16 Ethical Consumer March/April 2021 Dirty generation

Some of the companies in this guide are involved in the dirtiest and most damaging projects around the world. Below, we run through just a few examples that show how energy companies continue to extract Sheyla Juruna calls for the halting of three from and exploit poorer nations, exporting profits to controversial mega-dam projects under construction in the , Brazil. “For me and my people the Belo shareholders in the rich world. Monte dam is a project of death and destruction.” © Survival International

Shell operates fossil fuel projects to resist any encroachment by Shell museum to ‘protect’ them. In December, globally. The company has been in Ogoniland,” said Lazarus Tamana, 70 Munduruku occupied the museum and condemned for its impacts on local president of MOSOP. reclaimed 12 funeral urns as well as other environments and communities, Iberdrola (owner of the Scottish property. particularly in Nigeria, where it is Power brand) is involved in renewable EDF has been accused of human rights responsible for multiple oil spills, generation projects. Unfortunately, these violations in Myanmar. ongoing pollution and the displacement include several massive hydroelectric The company is involved in the Shweli and violation of local communities. projects which, while generating low- 3 Dam in the Shan State of Myanmar. Shell has been ordered to pay over carbon energy, are also responsible According to the Burma Campaign $450 million to the Ejama-Ebubu for other environmental damage and UK, the Shan State has been under the community, for the pollution of their the violation of indigenous rights. control of ethnic armed organisations. lands and waters, destruction of their Neoenergia, a company 51% owned by Preparations for the dam caused Burmese livelihoods and multiple diseases resulting from a Shell subsidiary’s oil spill in Ogoniland in 1970. The company Our sacred places were violated and is also being sued by four widows of the Ogoni 9 who, in the 1990s, were convicted destroyed. Our ancestors are crying … in a sham trial and hanged in secret by the state after opposing Shell’s actions in The Teles Pires and Tapajós Rivers are Ogoni. In 2019, the Nigerian government dying OPEN LETTER FROM THE MUNDURUKU decreed that Shell and several other companies should restart oil exploration Iberdrola, is involved in the Belo Monte Army battalions to move into the area, in Ogoni – despite failure to clean up and Teles Pires dams in Brazil, which “triggering conflict that forced hundreds earlier spills in the region. Movement for have displaced over 40,000 people, to flee their homes.” the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) including many Indigenous ribeirinhos “Now the project is moving closer to says there is a “very real threat of violence and Munduruku, Kayabi and Apiaka development and construction, there from the oil companies and the Nigerian peoples. are fears of more conflict and abuses,” government in an attempt to force their Raimundo Braga Gomes was forced to according to the campaign group. “Dozens way into Ogoni.” move to Altamira, Brazil’s most violent of grassroots civil society organisations “Our suffering has not stopped, city to make way for the Belo Monte dam. have called for a moratorium on dams pollution has increased. The clean-up He told The Guardian in 2018, “I didn’t and other major developments in ethnic exercise is not happening, yet Shell is need money to live happy. My whole states at the current time because of the planning to return back to Ogoniland house was nature … I was rich … Now I’m link between large scale projects and for more oil exploration. We are ready poor. I have to buy everything I need … I conflict and human rights violations.” used to have a living river, today I have a The Ta’ang Students and Youth Union dead lake – and to get there I have to pay has stated: “The implementation of the for transportation.” Gomes says that he Shweli 3 dam will threaten the lives of signed a document after being told that local people, prolong wars and jeopardise his island would flood. “But I can’t read. I the peace process.” only know how to draw my name.” After years of fighting, in 2019, 315 ribeirinhos families gained the right to establish a collectively owned Ribeirinho TAKE ACTION Territory beside the Belo Monte reservoir. Burma Campaign UK is asking Many though are still waiting to be consumers to write to EDF calling on allocated the land promised. them to withdraw from the project Also, in Brazil, the Teles Pires dam and commit to ending its involvement “When you see the government, you see has destroyed Munduruku sacred sites, in dams in conflict zones. Shell.” Esther Kiobel is one of four widows suing Shell over its role in the unlawful including a burial ground and the Sete https://action.burmacampaign.org.uk/ detainment, torture and execution of their Quedas waterfall. Archaeologists removed edf-life-threatening-dam-burma husbands by the Nigerian state.

© Amnesty International © Amnesty over 270,000 ‘artifacts’, placing them in a ethicalconsumer.org 17 SHOPPING GUIDE Electricity & gas suppliers SUPPORTING COMMUNITY Tariffs for green homes RENEWABLE ENERGY GENERATION Those with solar panels, electric vehicles or heat pumps will Around the UK, communities are coming together to have specific energy needs and may want different tariffs for generate, own, manage or reduce their energy. Three of these. the renewable energy tariffs in this guide explicitly support community generation. Heat pumps, batteries and electric vehicles There are 550 community energy projects in the UK. Smart tariffs can be good for those with large, flexible By offering communities the chance to define and control electricity needs – for example using electric vehicles, their own energy needs, these projects can not only help batteries or heat pumps. They essentially offer two energy reduce carbon, but also address fuel poverty, increase prices: a higher price when demand is high (and more energy local economic resilience and grow local engagement and is therefore being sourced from fossil fuel power stations) and awareness on energy and climate issues. a lower one when demand is low (and a greater proportion of When companies buy energy directly from renewable the energy is therefore sourced from renewables). Households generators using power purchase agreements (PPAs), they can decide – or even pre-programme tech – to charge a battery provide a guaranteed income and some security to those or car or turn on a heat pump when the energy price drops projects. In doing so, they enable them to expand and grow. below a certain threshold. Some tariffs even pay consumers to Good Energy states that it buys directly from community use excess energy when demand drops below supply. generation projects through its PPAs, thereby supporting their Jonathan Atkinson from Carbon Co-op says: “Heat pump work and expansion. Co-op Energy also offers a Community owners can benefit, but they need to be able to integrate and Power tariff that is “100% powered by community-generated automate their heat pump, and they need to be able to accept the green electricity projects.” Ripple allows consumers to invest loss of heat that this might lead to.” directly in a new wind farm, and become part of a consumer Sarah Hughes, who owns a heat pump told us that she energy co-op. (See Ripple’s company profile opposite for automates her energy use using Homely, which checks the more information.) provider’s smart energy prices and predicts temperatures to Community energy projects are also often looking for decide when to use the heat-pump to heat the tanks and house: direct funding through share offers. For those who can afford “It’s grown from a PhD project over the last couple of years and it, it is a great way to support energy transition beyond just it’s been working really well for us.” choosing a better tariff. It is also one meaningful way to We have more information on smart tariffs available here: offset some of your impacts, including, for example, if you’re www.ethicalconsumer.org/energy/smart-home-smart-tariffs on a prepayment meter that is not compatible with the tariffs offered by the better companies. Energy4All provides Home generators information about current and future community share offers For those generating at home, the Smart Export Guarantee on its website: energy4all.co.uk/share-offers scheme helps subsidise home generation. The government’s less-generous successor to the Feed-In Tariff scheme, it requires energy suppliers with over 150,000 domestic Smart meters customers to pay home-generators for any excess energy they provide to the grid. The average sized domestic system is likely Smart meters provide both to be worth £50-100 from the scheme each year, going some you and your supplier with way to subsidising upfront generation costs. Read more about information on how much gas it in EC184. and electricity you’re using. Some of our Best Buy and recommended companies offer They replace your existing special tariffs designed for the needs of those with green home gas or electricity meters and energy needs: send automatic updates to your provider, so that your bills reflect Ecotricity Fully Charged tariff offers a discounted energy rate actual energy use. It also helps you for electric vehicle owners and half-price charging control your energy use and make cuts. on the Electric Highway. being launched soon: a smart tariff. And it is hoped that they will, in the future, be able to turn appliances on and off in Good Energy Electric Vehicle tariff has different electricity

© Carbon Coop response to the demand and supply of electricity, pricing for day and night. Green Heat tariff offers to help deal with renewables that it isn’t possible to turn up low unit prices and no standing charge in winter and down. months. Energy providers are required to install smart meters in businesses and homes, as part of the government’s ‘smart grid’ Green TIDE tariff offers smart pricing. Export tariff pays plan. The initial deadline for installation in all small businesses Energy UK self-generators for any excess energy they produce and provide to the grid. and homes was the end of 2020, but (partly due to the pandemic) this has been delayed until mid-2021. Octopus If you haven’t yet had a smart meter installed, you should be Octopus Agile offers smart pricing, including paying you to use excessive energy from the grid when contacted by your supplier over the coming months and offered demand drops below supply. Octopus Outgoing one for free. You can also request one from your provider. pays self-generators for any excess energy they Several providers in this guide lost a half mark under Climate produce and provide to the grid. Octopus Go offers cheaper overnight charging. Change, after being fined by the government for failing to meet smart meter installation targets.

18 Ethical Consumer March/April 2021 Companies behind the brands

Ecotricity was the first energy company to offer customers green energy, and has been involved in developing significant green infrastructure in the UK, including Britain’s first megawatt windmill and the country’s first grid-scale solar park. The company is committed to what it calls ‘Bills into Mills’ – taking the money from its customers’ bills to build new forms of green energy. 5% of the gas it provides is biogas, and is certified vegan by both the Vegan Society and Viva! – meaning that it does not use animal waste, unlike most other companies. We talk more about vegan energy on our website. Ecotricity is also owner of Ecotalk, a Best Buy for mobile phone networks, and Forest Green Rovers, the UK’s only 100% vegan British Gas faced workers’ strikes in January over ‘fire and rehire’ plans. football club. Ripple is a really unique company. supplied by Ripple and partly supplied charity and academia. The project will use It allows consumers to invest in a new by Co-op Energy (and therefore by 5G and data-centric intelligence to look renewable project, becoming part of a Octopus). If you chose to invest enough at ways to drive the local energy systems consumer energy co-op. Once the project to cover your entire energy use, and were towards lower costs and lower carbon begins to operate, energy used by the therefore only supplied by Ripple, the emissions. They predict cost savings of investor will be backed by electricity Ethiscore would be 15.5 – the highest in 25%, and say that it will meet the UK’s Fifth generated, in proportion to their the table. The company estimates that Carbon Budget target to reduce emissions. investment. Their bill will be reduced this would cost £1,882 for two people in Royal Dutch Shell is the seventh accordingly (or negated if the investment a two-bedroom house – but would save biggest greenhouse gas emitter in the was large enough). Any energy needed £3,267 in energy bills over the 25-year world since 1965, responsible for 1% of above the invested amount (or before the lifespan of the wind farm. Ripple takes an global emissions each year. The company project is operational) is provided by Co- arrangement fee of 5% suggesting that the has been linked to multiple ecological op Energy (which, confusingly, is supplied remaining 95% of your investment goes and human rights violations. It has faced by Octopus Energy!). The company’s first directly to the wind farm. lawsuits around the world for its role in oil project is a single 2.5 MW wind turbine, Together Energy is a social enterprise spills, state violence, and corruption and which is due to start operating in summer focused on addressing “the postcode bribes. A growing body of evidence shows 2021. lottery of career opportunities directly that the company, which is registered Ripple would essentially receive a through our recruitment policies.” Over in the UK, recognised the serious threat different Ethiscore depending on whether 90% of staff members come from the of climate breakdown since at least the you invested enough to cover all or just poorest 10% of postcodes in Scotland. 1990s. An internal report by the company a portion of your energy use. The score The company says that it recruits “with in 1986 stated “The changes may be the on our table (11.5) reflects the second an emphasis on youth, supporting greatest in recorded history.” Yet Shell has situation, where a consumer is partly people, many for whom school was not a been accused of continuing to mislead its positive experience and felt let down by investors, oppose climate action and invest the education system.” It works with the billions of dollars in fossil fuel operations GREEN ENERGY charity Street League, to find potential for the last decades. candidates, and teachers, educational British Gas is the UK’s largest energy psychologists and a local university to company and is owned by Centrica. FOR SMES provide support towards gaining new Centrica is involved in fossil fuel and skills and qualifications. Employees nuclear power generation. It was previously receive a living wage and weekly learning involved in fracking in Lancashire but Companies with meaningful sessions covering everything from sitting appears to have since withdrawn from renewable tariffs which also a driving test to fitness, nutrition and the project. British Gas faced workers’ offer them to SMEs money management. strikes in January over ‘fire and rehire’ Although the company is not directly plans, pressuring employees to accept contributing to renewable energy new contracts with worse conditions. The Ecotricity generation in the UK, it is involved in a company has been accused of “using the project to design a smart local energy coronavirus emergency as a smokescreen Green Energy UK system in Warrington, alongside others to shed jobs, and erode pay and conditions Good Energy in the energy industry, local government, of workers.”

ethicalconsumer.org 19 SHOPPING GUIDE

Grants, incentives and quality schemes

JONATHAN ATKINSON, a former writer for Ethical Consumer and co-founder of Carbon Co-op, a social enterprise that helps people and communities to radically decarbonise their energy use, gives us the low-down.

If you’ve decided to invest in energy This scheme works efficiency, a heat pump, or solar thermal, differently – the homeowner there are a number of schemes available covers the upfront installation to help cushion the costs. costs and incentive payments are made for seven years, based on the amount of Green Homes Grant renewable heat made by your heating system. The Green Homes Grants was launched You can get both the RHI in 2020 in England and funds two thirds and the Green Homes Grant of the cost of a suite of technologies and for the same technology energy efficiency measures up to a limit unless the grant covered the of £5000, or the total cost up to £10,000 full cost of the installation, but for those on a low income or certain the value of the Green Homes benefits. Grant will then be deducted Eligible technologies include solid from your RHI payments. the largest energy suppliers to invest wall insulation, loft top up, solar thermal You’ll need to use an MCS registered money in energy efficiency measures. and heat pumps – choose one of these installer (see box below) and in many Unfortunately, what was a generous ‘primary measures’ and a number of cases fit specialist heat metering. The scheme when it was first introduced secondary measures become available tariffs are fairly complex, and can change: was subsequently labelled as ‘green including new windows and ventilation depending on the size of your home and crap’ by David Cameron and reduced systems. It doesn’t cover PV. how much heat you use, so take a look at in scope and scale. Now it’s available The programme has been criticised, the government or Energy Savings Trust to a small number of households with mainly due to the lack of appropriately website to see what you could get. access to certain benefits, for a limited trained contractors but also because of set of improvements. The quality of the administration of the scheme by an works installed under the scheme has outsourced, private company which has Reduced VAT rates also come under severe criticism. If you led to delays in paying builders delivering are interested and you think you may be the works. But the duration of the Before 2019, energy efficiency materials eligible contact your energy supplier for programme has been extended to March were subject to a 5% VAT rate. However, details. 2022, and the number of companies due to an EU ruling, the availability offering work will steadily increase over of the reduced VAT rate was limited. time. Visit the Simple Energy Advice It is now available in one of two MICROGENERATION website for more information: https:// circumstances: CERTIFICATION www.simpleenergyadvice.org.uk l if you are over 60 years of age and/or Shockingly, the Green Homes Grant on a selection of benefits or SCHEME doesn’t cover Scotland, Wales or Northern l if the value of the materials used in As mentioned above, the government Ireland. Schemes in these are much your project is 60% or less of the value of mandated Microgeneration Certification more paltry – see Home Energy Scotland, the whole job. Scheme (MCS) is a quality standard the Nest scheme in Wales, or NI Energy It’s also only applicable to certain covering installers of certain low carbon advice for more information. improvements. It is a little confusing technologies, in particular heat pumps so we’d suggest talking to your chosen and solar PV panels. Whilst not an contractor if you think you’re eligible, as absolute guarantee of quality, MCS Renewable Heat ultimately they will be claiming it. offers a mechanism for best practice, advice and rectification. Many incentive Incentive schemes like the renewable heat The (RHI) Energy Company incentive (RHI) require MCS qualified covers England, Scotland and Wales. installers so look out for the standard. Eligible technologies include heat Obligation https://mcscertified.com/find-an- pumps and solar thermal panels, and The Energy Company Obligation or installer also biomass boilers. ECO scheme is an obligation placed on

20 Ethical Consumer March/April 2021 SHOPPING GUIDE Solar PV

Solar PV, is it for me? © Smileus | Dreamstime.com JASMINE OWENS sheds light on key industry issues.

olar PV technology has advanced Government incentives hugely impact Carbon footprint and massively – there are now panels how many installations happen in a so light and thin they can rest year: the slashing of Feed-in Tariffs (FIT) climate change on a bubble without popping in 2016 triggered a sharp decline. But, A typical UK home solar PV system could Sit. Efficiency has shot up, from around although the government support is now save 1.3 to 1.6 tonnes of carbon per 10% just a decade ago, to an average limited, PV panels continue to drop in year. The average UK carbon footprint, of around 18% for currently installed price. Research group Wood Mackenzie including imported goods, is around 12 panels, and costs have plummeted. predicts prices will continue to fall, but tonnes. There are nearly a million solar PV at a slower rate. Solar-Trade suggests Solar PV has an initial carbon footprint systems on UK houses, and if we gathered that installations dropped at the start of from production, but it is small. The sum all global panels there would be enough to the pandemic (500 installations in April) of all the energy required to produce a cover Dubai completely. but bounced back later in the year (4000 unit of (embedded energy) installations in October). is around 4% of its output. And fossil fuels have carbon footprints from their Number and Average Cost of annual new domestic PV installations production too – coal’s embedded energy is 11%. 201,930 Solar PV is one of the pillars of plans to decarbonise Europe’s power supply, 141,667 and the European Commission described 123,289 109,553 solar PV as among the most cost-effective 85,061 75,219 electricity generation technologies, although it does vary on how far south you 16283 22540 22258 26747 are. As we are a murky, windy island, solar £7,500 £7,000 £6,700 £6,500 £6,500 £6,500 £6,500 £6,200 £5,103 PV is likely to play a smaller part in our decarbonised future than in Spain’s, but 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 the Climate Change Committee suggests Year that it could contribute 10-15% of our energy in 2050, which is still significant. But it’s worth remembering that just INVEST IN SOLAR installing solar panels doesn't save an ounce of carbon. They have to be used to Energise Africa is an online impact investing do that. James Page from JoJu states that, A fully referenced platform enabling people to invest from £50 in ISA- often, building developers install solar version of eligible bonds issued by solar businesses operating to tick a box to get planning permission, this Product across sub-Saharan Africa. Investments enable with no interest in continuing its Guide is on our website businesses to provide solar home systems to low- operation. He stated, “I’ve found systems income families on pay-as-you-go payment plans. that have never been switched on.”

ethicalconsumer.org 21 SHOPPING GUIDE Solar PV

USING THE TABLES Environment Animals People Politics +ve USING THE TABLES Ethiscore: the higher the score, the Positive ratings (+ve): better the company. Scored out of 14. Plus up to 1 extra point for Company Company Ethos: Ethos and up to 5 extra points for e = full mark Product Sustainability. = half mark Green (good) = 12+ E Product Sustainability: Amber (average) = 11.5–5 Various positive marks available Red (poor) = 4.5–0 depending on sector. H = worst rating h = middle rating = best rating/no criticisms found Best Buys are highlighted in blue

BRAND 14 + 6 extras) (out of Ethiscore Reporting Environmental Change Climate & Toxics Pollution Habitats & Resources Oil Palm Animal Testing Farming Factory Animal Rights Human Rights Rights Workers’ Chain Management Supply Marketing Irresponsible Arms & Military Supply Technologies Controversial Call Boycott Activity Political Finance Anti-Social Conduct Tax Ethos Company Sustainability Product COMPANY GROUP

GB-Sol 11.5 HH H E GB Renewables Investments Ltd Sunshine 10 h HH HH E Sunshine Solar Limited Eco-Worthy 9 H h HH HH E Eco-Worthy Solar Technology Suntech 9 H h HH HH E Shunfeng Photovoltaic JinkoSolar 8.5 H HH HH H E JinkoSolar Holding Co Trina Solar 8.5 H HH HH H E Trina Solar Co., Ltd JA Solar 8 H h HH HH H E JA Solar Holdings Co Ltd 8 H h HH HH H E Yingli Green Energy Holding Canadian Solar 7.5 H h H HH H h H E Canadian Solar Inc Kyocera 7.5 h H H h H h H H Kyocera Corporation LG 7 H h h H h h h h H H LG Electronics SunPower 6.5 HH HH HH H h Total SE/Maxeon Solar Hanwha Q-Cells 6 HH HH H H h h H Hanwha Solution Sharp 5.5 h H HH H h H H h H Vikram Solar 5.5 HH H H H h H H h h Vikram Solar Limited Mitsubishi Electric 4.5 h h hH hhHhH HH h H Mitsubishi Group Rec Solar 4.5 HHHH H H H h H H China National Chemical Corp Panasonic 4 h HH h H H h H h H H H Panasonic Corporation Hyundai 3 HH HH H H H H h h H h h Korea Shipbuilding & OE

All the research behind these ratings is available for subscribers to see on the score tables on www.ethicalconsumer.org Definitions of all the categories are at www.ethicalconsumer.org/our-ethical-ratings m nsu er o .o c r l g Best Buys are decided by the editorial team based on the research we have undertaken, the scoring system and the unique insight into the a

c

i issues that our editorial team has. 9 times out of 10 this will be the brand (or brands) that are top of the table but sometimes an ethical company

h

t e which is truly innovative scores less well on our rigid scoring system and we use the Best Buy and Recommended section to acknowledge this. A Y BES T BU company cannot be a Best Buy if it scores worst for Supply Chain Management.

Smart Export Saving surplus energy

Guarantee Companies may also try to sell you batteries when you’re buying on-grid panels. The Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) is Obviously you will need them for off-grid systems. currently the only funding Batteries allow you to save surplus energy and take a step towards energy available in the UK. independence, if you want that. Typically, solar panels are wired up so But batteries are pricey, and their efficiency decreases over time, so you won’t that if your panel generates more energy necessarily recover the financial investment you make within the battery’s lifetime. than you use, the excess green energy is And John Beardmore, managing director at T4 Sustainability Ltd., highlights that fed into the grid. The SEG enables small- using batteries for on-grid systems is inefficient if you want to reduce overall carbon scale low-carbon electricity generators to emissions, not just your own. Feeding excess energy into the grid and buying it back get paid by their energy supplier for this when needed could a better option for this. energy – up to around 11 p/KWh. If you have an immersion heater you could instead store the excess energy in water. To be eligible, residential solar systems From Spring to Autumn, while there is lots of daylight and you will probably not want are normally required to be accredited by space heating, a solar diverter unit can direct excess solar energy into heating your the Microgeneration Certification Scheme water. Units may cost around £300 and payback through savings could be around 3 (MCS) or Flexi-orb. years.

22 Ethical Consumer March/April 2021 m nsu er o .o c r l g

a

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Score table highlights i

h BEST t

e Y We chose a selection of well-known solar UK. And Solarcentury, which partnered BUYS B U PV brands, which make a mix of on- and with Ikea, has placed its UK solar panel ES T B off-grid panels, marketed for sale by UK offerings on hold. installers. If you buy an on-grid panel Our Best Buy in this guide is GB- you have access to electricity even if Tax Conduct Sol, which has a single site in South your panel’s not producing energy, as Ten (52%) companies in this guide Wales. It only produces solar energy you’re still connected to the utility grid. received a worst rating under Tax equipment, and most energy used by Off-grid panels, used on e.g. boats or Conduct, with GB-Sol, Sunshine Solar, the factory comes from its own 30 kW caravans, are not connected to the grid, Eco-Worthy, Suntech, Kyocera and solar PV array on its roof. so you only get electricity if the sun’s Vikram being the only companies which shining or you’re using power stored in did not get marked down for likely use of batteries. Consumers cannot typically tax-avoidance strategies. GB-Sol buy on-grid panels directly from manufacturers, so if you want a specific Solar companies causing climate- 11.5 brand contact local installers to see if chaos they can supply it for you. Several ‘green’ brands are deeply Usually, second-hand is our first involved in climate-chaos-causing choice, and it’s true that second-hand industries. solar panels are cheaper and can avoid Total SE is a French oil and gas waste. However, it can be a challenge multinational and ultimate parent to find panels that meet your specific company of the SunPower-Maxeon brand. requirements and if you accidentally Hyundai solar panels are ultimately buy a damaged panel it could be costly owned by Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore to repair. You should use an accredited Engineering Co., Ltd which is involved installer, even if installing a second-hand in oil and petrochemicals. Hanwha RECOMMENDED panel. Corporation’s family tree includes GB-Sol and Sunshine Solar are two aviation and weapons systems. REC Solar Sunshine Solar is a UK-based company small UK-based alternatives in this guide, panels are ultimately owned by China that received our best rating for and Eco-Worthy is included as several National Chemical Corporation. Environmental Reporting. people searched for it on our website. Brands were awarded a positive Eco-Worthy is another company that Since our last guide, SolarWorld Company Ethos mark if they solely did well across the board, and received and SunSolar appear to have filed for produced renewable energy technologies. a Company Ethos mark for focusing insolvency. ReneSola and Tata no longer These were GB-Sol, Sunshine Solar, solely on renewable energy and not appear to offer residential panels in the Eco-Worthy, Suntech, Trina, JinkoSolar, being in industries like fossil fuels. Canadian Solar, Yingli, and JA Solar. Even though this is a guide to renewable energy, several companies in SOLAR SCORECARD this guide received a worst rating under The Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition our Climate Change category, and only (SVTC) is a US-based non-profit that four received a best – meaning that they BRANDS TO AVOID produces rankings of solar panel report on their carbon emissions and manufacturers, aiming to pressure how they are cutting them. The best were Hyundai, Panasonic, Rec Solar and companies to make panels safer for GB-Sol, JinkoSolar, Trina Solar, Canadian Mitsubishi scored worst in this guide. the environment and workers. It covers Solar and Panasonic. toxic chemicals, recycling and supply chains. Pollution & toxics In the latest scorecard (2018-19) Highly toxic metals are often used to l Clear and dated targets to eliminate JinkoSolar received a perfect score produce photovoltaic units. Silicon- discharge of all hazardous and polluting of 100. Some other companies in based materials, cadmium, selenium, chemicals. this guide were rated by the Solar copper, nickel, silver, tin, lead, l The requirement that suppliers Scorecard: strontium, barium, gold, tantalum and disclose information on the release of tungsten are all regularly used in solar hazardous chemicals. Trina 99 SunPower 94 PV production. l The public disclosure of information JA Solar 92 Hanwha Q Cells 90 Exposure mainly occurs during on polluting and hazardous substances. LG 84 Hyundai 0 development and production, or end- l A discussion on the company’s Kyocera 0 Mitsubishi 0 of-life, when chemicals can leach into progress in finding alternatives. Panasonic 0 REC 0 landfills. Suntech 0 Yingli 0 Ethical Consumer considers that a Not one company received our best good policy must at least include: rating for Pollution and Toxics. Visit www.solarscorecard.com/2018- l A list of hazardous and polluting Sharp, REC, Panasonic and Hyundai all 19/ for more details. chemicals. received a worst rating.

ethicalconsumer.org 23 SHOPPING GUIDE Solar PV

RECYCLING Under ‘Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment’ (WEEE) regulations, industries must take responsibility for the impact of products once they become waste. Though it’s an EU initiative, WEEE does not appear to have been impacted by Brexit. PV Cycle is a commonly used UK takeback scheme. Reputable installers will provide information to consumers on recycling. Module reuse is more efficient than component or material extraction. The challenge is finding a market for hundreds of gigawatts of decommissioned modules a year. One suggestion is using them to charge light electric vehicles like eBikes and eScooters in cities.

Solar supply chain

China’s and module production A recent report by the accounts for over 70% of total global Business and Human Rights production. Malaysia is the second Resource Centre, which largest at 6%, with South Korea, Japan, assessed abuses in solar panel India, USA, and Thailand following. supply chains, highlighted China is poised to remain industry how nickel mining companies were facing Australian Strategic Policy Institute leader for several years. 18 allegations of human rights abuses. report as a company that is directly or Many solar PV manufacturers offer There are also issues around the indirectly benefiting from Uyghur labour. lengthy environmental reports but when minerals sometimes called ‘conflict Since 2017, the Chinese government is it comes to supply chain management, minerals’ which are found in the DR estimated to have arbitrarily detained up they divulge very little information. Congo, where the mining trade has been to two million Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs, Given the weak enforcement of used to fund brutal conflicts. Ethical Hui and members of other Muslim groups occupational health and safety standards Consumer expects companies to have in purpose-built detention camps. in China, the potential for workers to be a policy addressing conflict minerals exposed to hazardous chemicals such as regardless of whether they are bound to cadmium is concerning. do so under the US Dodd-Frank Act. LG and Sunpower received a best Other dangers to workers rating for Conflict Minerals, while all SOLAR PV FOR There is also significant risk of workers’ others received a worst. ALMERIA rights violations in the mining of quartz A new issue since our last guide is Read about how a union organiser (from which polysilicon for photovoltaic Uyghur forced labour in the Xinjiang in Spain is allegedly being taken to cells is produced). It’s often sourced region of China. About one third of court for installing solar panels paid from countries with fewer regulations polysilicon used to make solar panels for by readers who donated to Ethical and the mining is linked with the is said to come from Xinjiang . Sharp Consumer’s crowdfunder on page 39. respiratory disease silicosis. Corporation was named in a 2020 TAKE ACTION Let community schemes sell electricity directly to then new local projects, such customers. as solar panels on schools Steve Shaw, director of Power for People, told and sports halls, would be Ethical Consumer about the campaign to allow viable. community energy schemes to sell their electricity What is needed is a new directly to customers. duty in law that requires the “You want to buy locally baked bread? You can. energy regulator, Ofgem, to You want to buy locally brewed beer? You can. You enable community schemes want to buy locally generated renewable energy? to sell their electricity

You can’t. directly to customers. Power House Banister © Hackney The UK is way off track in meeting its climate for People have drafted targets, and yet community renewables projects like solar the Local Electricity Bill, which would do just that, and we arrays are being blocked by outdated rules that run our energy are campaigning for it to become law. Support so far is system. The government admitted in 2014 that community encouraging: 237 MPs are on board – that’s well over a third of renewables could make up 5% of all generated UK electricity the House of Commons – but many more are needed.“ by 2020. But the right policy changes never happened and so today they account for less than a tenth of that. You can help by signing up and writing to your MP. If we could buy our energy directly from a local scheme Go to www.powerforpeople.org.uk/sign-up.

24 Ethical Consumer March/April 2021 Positive Vibrations is a 100% solar- Dreaming of life off grid Portable panels powered off-grid If you just need power to charge your phone or reggae festival, Solar PV can help make energy self-sufficiency a laptop, roll-up solar panels, solar backpacks, and with a focus reality. even solar briefcases could meet your needs. They on energy and People regularly use on-grid panels in off-grid are much cheaper than installed panels, too. technology. This applications as it’s cheaper. The main year’s festival reason to buy off-grid panels would be if will be online you need ruggedised or flexible panels for on 11-12 June harsh environments, or panels to fit on 2021. mobile homes or boats. However, using on-grid panels can get you in trouble without proper precaution due to higher module voltages. Three modern on-grid 350W panels in series have an open circuit voltage of 120V DC – so there should be trained/qualified personnel involved in installation. Rachel Marshall was off grid for over two years, using a second-hand solar panel on her boat (pictured) in Lancaster. “Once you see the volts going down when you turn an electrical device on, you soon realise how many ways we use energy. It’s a precious resource.”

Tips for buyers Companies behind the brands

1. Don’t count on financial returns. Suntech lost a full mark under the Human Rights category because the Who Profits? Thousands of people complained website stated that, in 2016, it co-built a solar power station in Katzrin, an Israeli to Financial Services settlement in the occupied Syrian Golan. Ombudsman after not receiving the JA Solar is a solar PV company based in Beijing that sells globally. Its chairman Jin savings expected from their panels. Baofang was detained by anti-corruption authorities in China in November 2020. An Financial rewards are not guaranteed. article by PV Magazine stated "Currently, it is not known now when Jin will be released 2. Take other energy saving measures or formally indicted. The Chinese government did not provide any additional details first. on the matter." The company was not marked down as the Chinese government did not Reduce energy consumption before appear to have published details about the charges. installing panels. Draught-proofing, Hyundai Energy Solutions is owned by Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering insulating, and replacing windows are Co., Ltd (KSOE). It also owns Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI). Four HHI workers died ways to reduce heating demand. in separate incidents in the first five months of 2020. A spokesperson from the Korean 3. Choose installers carefully. Metal Workers Union told Ethical Consumer that the company was actively involved in If an installer books you in without union busting. asking basic questions to make sure SunPower Maxeon is a brand owned by Total SE, which has operations in a it’s a good decision, this should ring whopping 16 oppressive regimes, including Israel, Myanmar and Sudan. According to alarm bells. Read up on its finances, Friends of the Earth, Total is the main operator of a mega oil project. A 1,445 km long too. If your installer goes bust you’ll giant pipeline will be built to transport the oil, impacting communities and biodiversity only get help from other companies at in Tanzania and Uganda, and threatening local communities with eviction. A March a premium. 2020 update stated campaigners had filed an appeal, citing "slowed-down justice 4. Choose reliable panels. because of the coronavirus crisis". Choose panels that produce more GB-Sol is our Best Buy in this guide. It has a single site in South Wales. The company power per surface unit and sustain only produces green energy, and much of the energy used by the factory comes this performance over time. As solar straight from its own 30 kW solar PV array on its roof. With detailed policies for a small panels age the performance reduces company, GB-Sol lost half marks in just three categories, putting it streaks ahead on the but the speed at which it does so varies Ethiscore table. significantly. Rec Solar, owned by China National Chemical Corporation (ChemChina), received 5. Specify your needs. worst ratings in seven categories. ChemChina had several subsidiaries involved in Even with the most reliable contractor, environmentally damaging industries such as petrochemicals and pesticides. it’s essential that you are clear on what Hanwha is a large energy business conglomerate in South Korea. Its subsidiary you want out of your solar panels. Think Biotech (Cambodia) Co., Ltd. was accused of harassing and intimidating Specify your requirements clearly. environmental activists who were researching illegal logging, in an article on the 6. Access free advice from the Business & Human Rights website in March 2020. Human Rights Watch stated, or the Centre for “employees allegedly detained the activists, including the prominent environmentalist Alternative Technology. Ouch Leng, and assaulted one of them”.

ethicalconsumer.org 25 SHOPPING GUIDE Heat pumps The unglamorous climate saviours

JOSIE WEXLER and CLARE CARLILE ask whether you should plump for a heat pump.

eat pumps do not look like a widely used. In Sweden and Switzerland, Efficiency seems to have been improving hugely sexy technology, but they account for about a third of heating further since, and there are more trials what they do is pretty magical. system sales. The UK government has ongoing now. Technologically, they are just just announced that it intends to try to Where they are specified and installed Hfridges in reverse. They move outside reach 600,000 heat pump sales per year well, satisfaction levels seem to be high heat – either from the air or from the by 2028 – a twenty-fold increase. In this, – around 80% of people say that they are ground – into your house. The way they it is acting on advice from groups like the happy with their pump. work makes them hugely efficient, which Climate Change Committee, who have You should make sure that your installer is why they are being viewed by so many been saying that we urgently need to is accredited by a Microgeneration as the key to decarbonising the UK’s ramp up installations if we are going to Certification Scheme (MCS)-appointed heating. meet our climate change targets. It hopes certification body (see page 20). It is a Heat pumps are still rare in the UK. that there will be 5.5 million heat pumps good sign if they are also registered with Only about 30,000 were installed last year installed in homes by 2030, of which 2.2 other organisations and bodies, such in the UK, relative to about 1.5 million million will have been installed in new as the Renewable Energy Assurance gas boilers. But internationally they are homes, and the rest retrofits. Ltd (REAL) and the Ground Source Heat Pump Association, which encourage high installation standards. The rocky road to It is undeniable that for many people, heat pumps probably don’t fall into the heat pump heaven ‘it’s all win-win, save money and save the Heat pumps have had a mixed reception climate at the same time!’ bracket. We cover in the UK. cost in more detail below, and government Trials conducted between 2008 and grants on page 20. But there are UK A fully referenced 2013 initially showed that they were properties for which they are much more version of performing very poorly in the UK, much financially attractive, particularly the 14% this Product less efficiently than in other European which are not connected to the gas grid. Guide is on our website countries. But in the second phase of the And if you’ve already insulated your trial, once specification and installation house, getting one is a major step you can were improved, they improved markedly. take to help the climate.

26 Ethical Consumer March/April 2021 The different types, WHO MAKES WHAT? and what you’ll need Ground Worcester Greenstore, Kensa, CTC, Daikin, Nibe, Vaillant, Samsung, Viessmann, Dimplex, Danfoss Installing a heat pump is likely to require source other changes to your house. Worcester Greensource, CTC, Daikin Vaillant, Dimplex, Panasonic, Glow-worm, Firstly, they do produce less heat, so Air to water LG, Mitsubishi, Viessmann, Samsung, Nibe, Nu-heat, Danfoss, Grant the house needs to be well insulated. Secondly, most heat pumps are at their Air to air Worcester Greensource, Daikin, Panasonic most efficient when they heat radiator water to 35-45 degrees, as opposed to the 65-80 degrees normal with gas boilers. Worcester Greenstar, Vaillant, Daikin, Glow-worm, Viessmann, Panasonic, Hybrid Mitsubishi, Samsung, Grant This means that you may need larger surfaces like large radiators or underfloor High Daikin, Dimplex, Panasonic, LG, Mitsubishi, Viessmann, Nibe heating, and to increase the size of your temperature hot water tank. There are some ‘high temperature heat pumps’, which are optimised to heat to a expensive and only suitable for a limited Electricity is quite difficult and expensive higher temperature so they can be used number of properties due to the outside to store in large amounts, so huge peaks with standard-sized radiators. But they space requirements. – like on very cold winter evenings, when are less efficient, the external units are In the case of the horizontal ones, pipes everyone turns their heating up to max much larger, and the pumps are 20-35% are buried in your garden in a long trench – are a problem. The Climate Change more expensive than standard ones. about a metre deep – you will need an Committee’s 2019 total decarbonisation Installation involves drilling holes area about twice the size of your house. scenario has a quarter of the homes through the walls, which may require The vertical ones have the pipes in that run on heat pumps in 2050 using a planning permission. a series of boreholes instead, so they hybrid system, with the boiler part using require much less space. But they are hydrogen, or bioenergy in the case of Air source heat pumps type one – more expensive to install and you will still homes off the gas grid. air to water need space for the drilling machinery – Most of the heat pumps installed in the they go down around 70 to 100 metres. Gas fired and water-source heat UK are air to water (see photo on left). pumps They do both space and water heating. Hybrids You can get gas-fired heat pumps. They They can be installed on almost all Hybrid systems combine a heat pump do use less gas than boilers, but most properties, including flats. A normal and a traditional boiler. The theory people seem to be suggesting that they pump is about the size of a fridge, and you is that the heat pump does most of aren’t hugely cheaper than the electric just need a place outside where it can be the work, but the boiler helps out in ones, so there doesn’t seem to be any fitted to a wall or placed on the ground, particularly cold weather, when heat compelling reason to get one when it is with space around it to get a good flow of pumps struggle. better to get off gas altogether. air. Hybrids have some advantages, You also get water-source heat pumps, All air source heat pumps do produce and many complete decarbonisation but they are rarely used at domestic some noise, as they contain a fan, but the scenarios incorporate some as a way level. modern ones are much quieter – about 40 of reducing peak electricity demand. to 60 decibels, which is rarely a problem.

Air source heat pumps type two – air to air Air to air heat pumps are just air conditioners that have been put into reverse. They blow hot air into your house, so they only do space heating. You will need something else for hot water. However, air to air pumps do have some advantages. The pumps are cheaper and have good efficiency. Since they don’t use radiators, you won’t need to install bigger ones, although you may need ducting (pipes) in order to carry the hot air around to different rooms.

Ground source Ground source heat pumps (see graphic right) take heat from the ground instead of the air, using pipes buried outside the house. This makes them much more efficient, and silent, but they are more

ethicalconsumer.org 27 SHOPPING GUIDE Heat pumps

USING THE TABLES Environment Animals People Politics +ve USING THE TABLES Ethiscore: the higher the score, the Positive ratings (+ve): better the company. Scored out of 14. Plus up to 1 extra point for Company Company Ethos: Ethos and up to 5 extra points for e = full mark Product Sustainability. = half mark Green (good) = 12+ E Product Sustainability: Amber (average) = 11.5–5 Various positive marks available Red (poor) = 4.5–0 depending on sector. H = worst rating h = middle rating = best rating/no criticisms found Best Buys are highlighted in blue

BRAND 14 + 6 extras) (out of Ethiscore Reporting Environmental Change Climate & Toxics Pollution Habitats & Resources Oil Palm Animal Testing Farming Factory Animal Rights Human Rights Rights Workers’ Chain Management Supply Marketing Irresponsible Arms & Military Supply Technologies Controversial Call Boycott Activity Political Finance Anti-Social Conduct Tax Ethos Company Sustainability Product COMPANY GROUP

Kensa 13.5 h h E Kensa Group Ltd Danfoss DHP-H 9 h h HH HH Danfoss A/S Glow-worm Clearly 9 h h HH HH Joh. Vaillant GmbH & Co. KG

Nu-Heat 9 H h HH HH E Nu-Heat/MNL Nominees Limited Vaillant 9 h h HH HH Joh. Vaillant GmbH & Co. KG

CTC 8 H h HH HH H E NIBE Industrier AB Daikin 8 h HH HH h H Daikin Industries Ltd

Nibe 8 H h HH HH H E NIBE Industrier AB Grant 7.5 HH HH HH h Grant Engineering (Ireland) ULC LG 7 H h h H h h h h H H LG Electronics Viessmann 7 H HHH HH H Viessmann Werke GmbH & Co KG Dimplex 6.5 HH HH H h H H Kilkee Investments Unlimited Worcester 5.5 h H HH HHHHH Robert Bosch Stiftung GMBH Mitsubishi Electric Ecodan 4.5 h h hH hhHhH HH h H Mitsubishi Group Panasonic 4 h H H h H H h H h H H H Panasonic Corporation Samsung 3 h HH h H H H H H H H H Samsung Group

All the research behind these ratings is available for subscribers to see on the score tables on www.ethicalconsumer.org Definitions of all the categories are at www.ethicalconsumer.org/our-ethical-ratings

m nsu er o .o c r l g Best Buys are decided by the editorial team based on the research we have undertaken, the scoring system and the unique insight into the issues a

c

i that our editorial team has. 9 times out of 10 this will be the brand (or brands) that are top of the table but sometimes an ethical company which

h

t e is truly innovative scores less well on our rigid scoring system and we use the Best Buy and Recommended section to acknowledge this. Y BES T BU A company cannot be a Best Buy if it scores worst for Supply Chain Management.

Efficiency and carbon (SCOP) or the Seasonal Performance set up and how you use them), and about Factor (SPF). 20% for gas-fired heat pumps. emissions To put it in absolute figures, the Energy The main measure of a heat pump’s Carbon emissions Savings Trust estimates that air source efficiency is called the coefficient of As the grid decarbonises over your heat heat pumps save more than two tonnes

performance (COP). It measures how pump’s lifetime, emissions will fall of CO2e per year on the most efficient many units of heat you get out per unit of towards zero. But even now, the annual gas boilers, right now. The average UK energy you put in. carbon savings are good. carbon footprint per person, including all A 100% efficient direct electric heater, The current carbon footprint of a unit imported goods, is about twelve. which does no heat pump magic, has a of UK electricity is on average about 1.3 COP of one. A 90% efficient gas boiler has times that of natural gas. You can do a Understanding the energy labels a COP of 0.9. rough estimate of the emissions savings All heat pumps have energy labels. Standard ground source heat pumps you can get from heat pumps from this Although they may be changing now we average COPs of around four, and air and their SCOP – if it is three, emissions have left the EU, the familiar ErP label is source about three. would be less than half of those from the still being used. However, the COP varies depending on most efficient gas boiler. The same scale is used for all heating the weather. So, when you’re comparing Estimates of immediate emission technologies, meaning that heat pumps individual pumps you want to look at cuts from studies are around 70% for by definition fall into the top three classes: the average COPs they manage over a standard heat pumps, 50-60% for high- A+, A++ or A+++. The rating is based on heating season. This is either given as temperature heat pumps, between 18 and the SCOP. the Seasonal Coefficient of Performance 55% for hybrid systems (it depends on the When heat pumps are required to

28 Ethical Consumer March/April 2021 m nsu er o .o c r l g Table highlights a

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BEST t Carbon management and reporting e Y Despite manufacturing this emissions reduction technology, only a handful of BUYS BE U companies scored well in our ranking of carbon management and reporting S T B for their own operations. Our criteria require, amongst other things, reporting annually on emissions and setting targets for reductions in line with international agreements. This ranking appears in the Climate Change column. You can’t just choose a heat pump Best: Kensa, Mitsubishi Electric, Panasonic off the supermarket shelf like other Middle: Daikin, Danfoss, LG, Nibe (including CTC), Nu-Heat, Vaillant (including products and will need to work with an Glow-worm), Samsung installer. They should of course listen to Worst: Bosch (Worcester), Glen Dimplex, Grant Engineering (Grant), Viessmann you about brand preference.

Tax Conduct Ground source heat pumps Most companies in this guide received our worst rating for likely use of tax Our best buy is Kensa. It is a dedicated avoidance strategies. The exceptions were Kensa, Danfoss, Nu-Heat, Vaillant heat pump company, which has been (including Glow-worm), and Grant Engineering (Grant), which all received a best, innovative in creating new systems for and Mitsubishi Electric, which received a middle rating. Kensa and Mitsubishi’s the UK market. scores were however brought down by other parts of their company structures. KENSA Company Ethos Where companies were only manufacturing heat pumps, we gave them a positive 13.5 Company Ethos mark for only producing innovative environmental alternatives. Kensa was the only company to receive this mark. deliver a hotter output their efficiency Cost and government drops. Heat pumps have two ratings for space heating, for low temperature help delivery at 35°C, and medium The biggest problem with heat pumps temperature delivery at 55°C. is the cost. The upfront costs are quite There are several other numbers on high, and if you’re comparing one the label as well, including a decibel against a modern efficient gas boiler, you noise rating, and a hot water rating if sadly may not save money on running they produce hot water, although heat costs. Electricity is currently about RECOMMENDED pumps are normally all in Class A for 3-4 times the cost of gas. So although that. To achieve higher efficiency, they heat pumps are about 3-4 times more need to be combined with solar heating. efficient, these cancel out and you could Air to water heat pumps and hybrids The quantity of hot water will also be expect your running costs to be about Company policies were too weak to illustrated by a tap symbol indicating the same. award a Best Buy for air source heat sizes (tap profiles) from 3XS to XXL. l The Climate Change Committee pumps, but our recommended buys, estimates the average cost of an air-to- based on marks across the board, are water heat pump + installation at £6,415, Nu Heat, Danfoss, Vaillant and Glow- and ground source at £13,380, with worm. up to £3,500 additionally required to make house changes such as increasing Air-to-air and high temperature radiator size. Installation prices can, Daikin is the recommended brand for however, vary a lot. The Energy Saving these types of pump. Trust estimates an efficient gas boiler replacement to be about £2,300. l A hybrid system can be cheaper if you already have a boiler and are just installing a heat pump to work alongside it, because you may get away with a lower BRANDS TO AVOID capacity heat pump and without replacing your radiators. Costs vary, but one report We recommend avoiding Samsung, suggested that it could be around 30% which has been subject to a lot of less than a full heat pump system. criticism regarding workers’ rights and l There’s less information available is among many companies recently about air-to-air heat pumps. On their face linked with the violations of Uyghur they look significantly cheaper, but you workers’ human rights in China. would need something else for hot water, and additionally you may need more than

ethicalconsumer.org 29 SHOPPING GUIDE Heat pumps

one. Those factors may well counteract the Air-to-air are excluded, probably going to start being phased out soon. savings. because of the difficulty of differentiating Others such as Vaillant are switching The Climate Change Committee them from straight air conditioners. But to propane, which has a GWP of 3, or

estimates that the price of the pump and they aren’t the only type of heat pump that to ammonia or CO2. But some of these installation may fall by about 23% over the can be used for cooling too – many heat have their own problems, such as being next fifteen years, if – as it recommends – pumps can be switched to cooling mode. unacceptably toxic or significantly less the UK becomes such a large heat pump efficient, meaning that more electricity is market that there start to be efficiencies of used. And while the grid is still half based scale involved. Refrigerants on fossil fuels, this can result in a higher carbon footprint than the ones with high Government help Heat pumps use refrigerants, and the GWPs (although once the grid is fully There are, luckily, government schemes most common traditionally has been a decarbonised, we won’t need to worry to help with the cost, and these can make hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) called R410A, about that). heat pumps much more financially which has a Global Warming Potential According to the Climate Change attractive. The two main ones are the (GWP) of 2088, meaning that it has Committee: “if existing standards are

renewable heat incentive (RHI) and the 2088 times the warming effect of CO2. maintained, the greenhouse gas savings Green Homes Grant – see page 20. These Although it should be possible to recover of a switch to heat pumps are orders of can cover a significant proportion of the the refrigerant at the end of life, there magnitude higher than the additional cost (up to £5,000 or £10,000 if you are on may be some leakage. F-gas [HFC] emissions.” a low income). You may also qualify for a R410A is now being phased out under Given the complexity and that the 5% VAT reduction if you are over 60 or on EU F-Gas regulation. Some heat pump climate impact is small, we decided not benefits. manufacturers, such as Mitsubishi, are to rate companies on the basis of the Ground source, air-to-water and hybrid moving to another HFC called R32, which refrigerants they use in their heat pumps. heat pumps are eligible for these schemes. has a GWP of 675, although that too is

Companies behind the brands

Kensa scores well across our It is among many companies recently ratings, receiving our best rating for linked with the internment and violations carbon management and reporting, of Uyghur workers in China. The state environmental reporting and supply has transferred Uyghur and other ethnic chain management. minority citizens away from their homes It is the first and only dedicated ground in Xinjiang to work in factories across source heat pump manufacturer in the China, some of which are believed to be UK. Its factory in Cornwall is heated using supplying Samsung. its own heat pumps, is based on a former mine site, and uses water in a disused Mitsubishi Electric Corporation is the mine shaft as the heat source for the largest trading company in Japan and pumps. part of the Mitsubishi keiretsu – a network The company has created the first Kensa’s Shoebox ground source heat of different companies that maintain pump is claimed to be the world’s smallest ground source heat pump small and and quietest. close relationships and often own small quiet enough to be installed in flats and shares in one another, while remaining apartments, and was the first to install operationally independent. ‘shared ground loop array systems’ – a share low-carbon heating infrastructure, The keiretsu is involved in nuclear, form of shared heating network whereby allowing impacts to be scaled throughout chemical, mining, automotive, animal multiple households or buildings can communities. See graphic below left. agriculture and gas and oil industries, Kensa is 36% owned by Legal & amongst many others. General Group. As Mitsubishi Electric Corporation is part of the keiretsu but also remains Samsung is the largest business an independent company, it has been group in South Korea, a family-controlled parented 50% to the group and therefore conglomerate known as a ‘chaebol’. picks up 50% of the marks. Its many subsidiaries and affiliate companies operate in everything from oil Danfoss is a family-owned Danish and gas to financial services, armaments engineering company. It states that it and biopharmacy. specialises in sustainable engineering Multiple abuses have been reported and smart technologies, including in its factories, such as deadly use of low-emissions transport, working with chemicals, refusal of the right to unionise, national and local governments on and forcing pregnant women to stand district heating and cooling systems, and throughout 8-10 hours shifts. energy efficient buildings.

30 Ethical Consumer March/April 2021 COLUMNIST Ethical novice

COLIN BIRCH with a light-hearted guide to trying, and sometimes failing, to be ethical. Justice by ALEX CRUMBIE HEATING Visions of luxury If this winter has reminded me of OK if you’re in a new build that keeps nothing else, it’s that my family and I everything inside (apart from a soul), Switching on a lightbulb live in a cold house. but our place lets out more hot air than Making the morning coffee The boiler is so inefficient that it’s Nigel Farage on Question Time, thanks Taking a shower now better at warming the planet than partly to us owning a cat that’s under Driving the car warming our radiators and the constant the impression that he’s getting paid Cooking lunch lack of decent heat and insulation has left commission to use the cat-flap. Listening to the radio the house so damp that we now refer to So, I’ve given up thinking about my Washing clothes the front and back of it as the deep and heating for now, and have been doing Making tea shallow ends. the electrics instead. Generally, I’m a Heating the house It’s obvious that I need to improve the big fan of solar panels: yes, there may be Watching television way our home is heated, not least because some questions about their manufacture, Then doing it all again the temperature seems to drop two but they are a wondrous technological The very next day degrees every time my partner gives me a invention, harnessing, as they do, the cold stare for not addressing the issue. awesome power of the sun, which gives In a fossil fuel economy So, how can I go about warming our them the stunning potential to, one day, Simple, everyday acts home in a more ethically sound manner? render fossil fuels obsolete, thereby Viewed en masse Replacing the boiler is a sound first creating a greener, kinder and safer world Are death by a thousand cuts step – ours creaks and moans more than for every living creature. And even if they I do when trying to function first thing in don’t, they’re a great way of hiding how One person switching on a light bulb the morning. But the engineer said that awful your roof tiles look. Does not cause climate change he couldn’t source the parts any more as Not only this, but if we produce our But billions of people switching on the Science Museum was closed. Also, own electricity from them, it’s possible Billions of light bulbs again these days a boiler needs to be A-Rated, we could use it to power the electric And again... whereas ours is more B.C. … though that bikes and cars we’ll all be using in a few And again... may be the era it dates from. years’ time – or, alternatively, Taser our There are plenty of better boilers out teenaged kids if they won’t do what we ask That said, I wouldn’t want you there now, but the fact is they all use gas, (Just kidding: A cattle prod works much To think we must which is a fossil fuel, so maybe I should better). Live in the dark be looking at something different? Yes, there are downsides – solar panels A friend suggested an air source heat used to offer a decent return to owners The advent of renewable energy pump, which extracts heat from the air selling excess energy back to the national Brings the possibility outside the house and uses it to warm grid, but these days the miniscule amount Not just of zero-carbon water for the heating. This seemed quite of cash the tightwad energy companies But of guiltless, infinite luxury. appealing, because the system requires give you won’t even pay for the phone call extra-large radiators, which are vital for you make to complain about it. However, In this idyllic future: any British family that loves hanging lots if I choose the right system I could really of washing to dry. boost my ethical credentials and help My lights would burn bright However, there’s make a difference. To fend off the gloom a problem with a Whatever I decide to do, I’ve realised A never-ending disco heat pump – the that I can’t act soon enough. In our house, Inside every room radiators only the most popular environmentally generate friendly way of keeping warm has I’d make sure my heating moderate always been the group hug. Now, Was always switched on temperatures, thanks to the strict lockdown that’s In a renewable world so you need not happening. The only reason This would not be wrong to have a we want to get close to each other properly these days is for strangulation And I’d leave windows open insulated purposes. To let fresh air in home. That’s But such blatant waste Would not be a sin...

Perhaps you consider My reasoning spurious But I see a future That’s green and luxurious © Webkatrin | Dreamstime.com © Webkatrin

ethicalconsumer.org 31 SHOPPING GUIDE Solar thermal Hot water straight from the sun

JANE TURNER and BILLY SAUNDRY look at how to turn down olar thermal is more simply the heat with products making hot water from solar energy. known as solar water heating. According to a year-long study by the Energy Saving Trust in 2011, it Scan provide over half of a households' hot tap water needs over the course of a year, and 100% during the summer. It is therefore a partial technology – you will still need something else to top up your hot water over the winter and for space heating. It doesn’t heat water to a high enough temperature to be used in traditional radiators, although it can make water warm enough to reduce the additional energy you’ll need from other sources. It can manage the temperature required for underfloor heating but may still need supplementing.

Above, solar thermal flat plate panels and (right) evacuated tubes.

A fully referenced version of this Product Guide is on our website

32 Ethical Consumer March/April 2021 Who’s in this guide? through the Renewable Heat Incentive the construction of a property. But, once (RHI) per kWh you generate. installed, maintenance costs for solar We’ve featured the most popular and For applications submitted between 1 thermal systems are generally very low widely used brands. They are also July 2020 and 30 September 2020, owners and they will last for 20-25 years. all MCS certified. The companies are of a solar thermal heating system received It is recommended that you find a mainly small companies that specialise the highest payments. professional installer rather than trying in renewable products and heating to do it yourself. The government- products. There are a couple of bigger, Type of Renewable Heating Tariff mandated Microgeneration Certification Hot water more diverse electronics companies – System (p/kWh) Scheme (see page 20) is a quality Bosch and Haier. Plus, DIY giant Travis Solar Thermal 21.36 standard covering installers of certain Perkins, owner of Wickes, makes a low-carbon technologies, in particular surprising appearance as the owner of Air Source Heat Pump 10.85 heat pumps and solar PV. Whilst not an Solfex. absolute guarantee of quality, MCS offers Ground Source Heat Pump 21.16 a mechanism for best practice, advice and rectification. Many incentive schemes straight How solar thermal However, according to CAT: like the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) “Bear in mind that the [green homes] and Green Homes Grant require MCS- works grant value will be deducted from any qualified installers, so look out for the Solar thermal works through water in RHI payments .... If you need to fund standard. https://mcscertified.com/find- panels on your roof, which absorb the substantial insulation improvements, it an-installer sun’s heat. The hot water is then pumped would therefore be more cost-effective to For that reason, we have only covered to a hot water tank or cylinder to be use the grant for those.” MCS-certified brands in this guide. from the sun stored until needed. It does not require Homes with a hot water cylinder and bright sunlight in order to function; high demand for domestic hot water, such while that would be the ideal, it can still as a family or house share, are the best Solar thermal vs heat heat water even on cloudy days. suited to a solar thermal system. For a You can add solar thermal panels one-person household, with low hot water pumps to most existing hot-water systems. use, it won’t be as cost-effective. Heat pumps can do space heating and However, you’ll usually need to add an hot water, so they are able to be more of a additional hot-water cylinder for the complete solution. But you can combine solar-heated water alongside the cylinder The types, and them, and there may sometimes be connected to your boiler or heat pump. advantages to doing so. Air-to-air heat Or, to save space, you can change your installation details pumps only do space heating, so in this existing cylinder for one with two heating There are two types of solar thermal instance you could get solar thermal to coils. panel, which are known as collectors: help with your hot water. Solar thermal can be combined with a l flat plate – resemble solar PV panels conventional boiler or immersion heater and sit flat on the roof to make the water hot enough to use in l evacuated tubes – a bank of glass tubes Solar thermal vs solar radiators, or to provide hot water when mounted on the roof tiles. solar energy is unavailable especially PV during winter. Evacuated tubes are more expensive The market for solar thermal has The downside is that it may not work than flat plate. They are often regarded declined since solar PV became cheaper well with a combi (water on demand) as more efficient, but the Centre for and more popular. Many solar thermal boiler. It depends on whether your make Alternative of boiler can accept pre-heated water. Technology (CAT) Around half of combi boilers won’t do says that with UK More energy is that. If you’ve got one of them you’ll either weather, there isn’t need to change it to a conventional boiler a big difference. provided by the sun or use another technology, like heat The Energy pumps or PV instead of solar thermal. Savings Trust in one hour than the (EST) found that the main impact world’s inhabitants What does it cost? on a system’s performance are are able to consume The cost of installing a typical solar how well insulated water heating system is £4,000-£5,000. the home’s hot in a whole year. EST found that typical savings from a water tank and RENEWABLE ENERGY HUB well-installed and properly used system pipes are. are moderate – £60 a year when replacing One downside of gas heating, and £70 a year when solar thermal is that the panels have to be companies stopped trading. But now replacing electric immersion heating. connected to the plumbing, so installation that installing solar thermal systems But it is eligible for the Green Homes is not straightforward. Solar Guide thus is part of the Green Homes Grant, and Grant (see page 20). And, once it has says that a solar thermal system is best solar PV isn’t, solar thermal will become been installed, you can receive payments installed as part of a renovation or during more viable again.

ethicalconsumer.org 33 SHOPPING GUIDE Solar thermal

USING THE TABLES Environment Animals People Politics +ve USING THE TABLES Ethiscore: the higher the score, the Positive ratings (+ve): better the company. Scored out of 14. Plus up to 1 extra point for Company Company Ethos: Ethos and up to 5 extra points for e = full mark Product Sustainability. = half mark Green (good) = 12+ E Product Sustainability: Amber (average) = 11.5–5 Various positive marks available Red (poor) = 4.5–0 depending on sector. H = worst rating h = middle rating = best rating/no criticisms found Best Buys are highlighted in blue

BRAND 14 + 6 extras) (out of Ethiscore Reporting Environmental Change Climate & Toxics Pollution Habitats & Resources Oil Palm Animal Testing Farming Factory Animal Rights Human Rights Rights Workers’ Chain Management Supply Marketing Irresponsible Arms & Military Supply Technologies Controversial Call Boycott Activity Political Finance Anti-Social Conduct Tax Ethos Company Sustainability Product COMPANY GROUP

Navitron 13 h H E Atlanta Rose Limited AES Luminary 12.5 H H E AES Limited Apricus 9.5 h h HH HH E Apricus Solar Co., Ltd SolarUK Lazer2 9.5 h h HH HH E Beechdown Group Ltd sunWin 9.5 h h HH HH E GASOKOL GmbH Joule 9 H h HH HH E Inventum Beheer B.V. Nu-Heat 9 H h HH HH E Nu-Heat/MNL Nominees Limited Nibe 8 H h HH HH H E NIBE Industrier AB Grant 7.5 HH HH HH h Grant Engineering (Ireland) ULC Viessmann 7 HH HH HH H Viessmann Werke GmbH & Co KG GREENoneTEC 6.5 H HHH HH h H Haier Group Worcester Greenskies 5.5 h H HH HHHHH Robert Bosch Stiftung GMBH Solfex 4.5 HH H H H h H h H h h h Travis Perkins plc

All the research behind these ratings is available for subscribers to see on the score tables on www.ethicalconsumer.org Definitions of all the categories are at www.ethicalconsumer.org/our-ethical-ratings

m nsu er o .o c r l g Best Buys are decided by the editorial team based on the research we have undertaken, the scoring system and the unique insight into the a

c

i issues that our editorial team has. 9 times out of 10 this will be the brand (or brands) that are top of the table but sometimes an ethical company

h

t e which is truly innovative scores less well on our rigid scoring system and we use the Best Buy and Recommended section to acknowledge this. A Y BES T BU company cannot be a Best Buy if it scores worst for Supply Chain Management.

Solar water heating is more efficient These hybrid systems are also not eligible Other uses for than using solar PV panels to heat water. for the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). This means solar thermal panels will solar thermal take up much less roof space than PV Solar water heating can be panels would for the same energy output, Make the most of your used to provide warm water to because you’ll need fewer of them. a site which has no facilities In addition, there is a financial saving solar water system at all: allotments, – solar thermal panels are generally Which? has the following advice: garden sheds, and cheaper than PV ones. l Use as much hot water as possible campsites. The But because solar thermal needs a hot from the solar-heated supply, rather simplest is a ‘solar water cylinder and works better with a than heating it up in an appliance using shower’ black pouch conventional or ‘system’ boiler, if you have electricity. For example, fit a mixer with a tap at the a combi boiler and no hot water cylinder, shower (rather than electric) and check bottom, which costs solar PV may be better. whether any ‘hot-fill’ appliances (which less than £10 and Of course, if you have a big enough could include your washing machine) can provides ample hot south-facing roof, or you can mount take water from your solar system. water for camping. panels at ground level where they’ll l Use more hot water in the evenings – Solar water have a clear outlook, you can have both in showers, baths and washing-up. This heating is also systems, either as two separate systems is when water will be hottest, as it’s had popular for heating or Solar PV-T – which combines both. most time to heat up. swimming and But Solar PV-T systems aren’t yet as l Insulate your pipes and water tank to paddling pools. The popular as solar PV or solar thermal make your system more efficient. Green Homes Grant does systems and there are only a handful of l Follow your installer’s advice on how to not, however, cover manufacturers, none of which have been set the hot water controls to get the most swimming pools. covered in the guides in this magazine. from your system.

34 Ethical Consumer March/April 2021 m nsu er o .o c r l g

a

c

Score table highlights how they were reducing their own i

h impacts, but they do only make products BEST t

e Y Pollution and toxics focused on lowering carbon emissions, BUYS B U Virtually all companies get a worst rating e.g. renewable energy products. ES T B for Pollution and Toxics because they l Five companies get our worst rating make electronics, like solar thermal because they are more diversified UK company AES is the Best Buy for controllers, and do not have a policy companies with a lack of awareness of solar water heating because it got on the use of toxic chemicals such as their climate impact and/or inadequate our best rating for carbon reporting brominated flame retardants, PVC and carbon emissions targets – Grant, and supply chain. It makes flat plate phthalates. AES and Navitron are the GREENoneTEC, Viessman, Worcester collectors. exception to these. Bosch, and Solfex.

Carbon reporting and Policy on the use of conflict management minerals l One company, AES, gets the best rating All the companies got a worst rating because it only makes renewable heating for making electronic products, like AES products, and it discussed its own climate controllers for solar water systems, but impacts and what it is doing to reduce not having a policy on the sourcing of the 12.5 them. conflict minerals used in them, minerals l The majority of the companies get our like tungsten, tin, tantalum and gold. middle rating for carbon reporting and The only exception was Navitron which management, as they aren’t discussing didn’t make any electronics.

Companies behind the brands RECOMMENDED

AES Solar was established in 1979 and Two other UK companies, Navitron and it says it was the first manufacturer SolarUK also score highly and both of solar thermal collectors in Western make evacuated tube collectors. Europe. It is a Living Wage employer. It These are followed by Apricus and says: “We manufacture and assemble sunWin. Apricus makes both types of the majority of our products from collectors whilst SunWin makes flat our headquarters in Forres. With the plate only. majority of our materials from the local, domestic, and European market, the environmental impact of the transportation is minimal. AES Solar is The world’s largest solar heating project actively resisting the less sustainable in Saudi Arabia with over 3,000 collectors trend of sourcing materials from Asia in providing district heating and hot water. BRANDS TO AVOID order to reduce our carbon footprint and support producers closer to home.” The Bosch group comprises Solfex, owned by Travis Perkins, scores AES Solar is currently in the process Robert Bosch GmbH whose global poorly and should be avoided. of changing to an Employee Ownership manufacturing, engineering, and sales Trust, a structure similar to the John network extends across nearly every Lewis model in which the Trust holds country in the world. a controlling stake in the company on 92% of the share capital of Robert behalf of all its employees. It’s basically an Bosch GmbH is held by Robert Bosch indirect form of employee ownership. Stiftung GmbH, a charitable foundation SolarUK is one of the small number which spent its dividend of €105 million GOOD SOURCES OF of companies which manufactures solar on charitable causes in 2019. INFORMATION thermal equipment in the UK, and the 60% of Bosch Group’s revenue comes only company that manufactures a from its automotive supplies business, l Energy Saving Trust – https:// British-designed evacuated tube solar one of the world’s biggest. A further 30% energysavingtrust.org.uk/energy-at- thermal collector in the UK. comes from consumer goods like washing home/generating-renewable-energy GREENoneTEC is the world‘s largest machines and power tools. l Centre for Alternative Technology thermal flat-plate-collector manufacturer. Travis Perkins was one of the – www.cat.org.uk/info-resources/free- In 2010, it erected the largest solar companies to repay business rates relief information-service/energy heating project in the world, in Riyadh, and furlough money that it got during l See the CAT website for a case Saudi Arabia, with 36,000 m2 of collectors. the pandemic, totalling £50 million. study of a family that have successfully GREENoneTEC is half owned by Haier, The company had seen sales boom at installed solar thermal – www.cat.org. a multinational Chinese electronics its Wickes stores and online Toolstation uk/info-resources/free-information- company that makes home appliances store. This move followed a week after service/energy/solar-water-heating/ and consumer electronics like Candy and B&Q’s announcement that it would pay solar-water-heating-case-study Hoover. back £130 million.

ethicalconsumer.org 35 NEWS Tax justice TAX TECH NOW Freeports or sleazeports? The Conservative Party Manifesto included a commitment to create up to ten ‘freeports’ around the UK. These are essentially special economic zones and, characteristically, offer looser customs rules with the aim of attracting investment, but are also known to provide resident businesses with a wider set of preferential treatments including tax reliefs. According to the Government, the aim of the policy was to “boost trade, jobs and investment with a view to building innovative business clusters that benefit the local area and level up the economy across the UK.” The government’s proposals lack detail at the moment, but the idea of reducing tax at a moment of historic indebtedness seems strange at best. Research by our colleagues at Fair Tax Mark has also raised serious additional concerns which include: l Internal tax competition within the UK would be encouraged. l Tax morale within the UK would be reduced and the incentive to both avoid and evade would be increased, at a cost to the overall tax yield of the country. to a Windfall Tax on l There would be increased scope for transfer pricing abuses. l International tax competition and the universally agreed harmful ‘race Big Tech companies to the bottom’ in international tax rates would be promoted, at a cost to international cooperation on this issue. Perhaps most alarming is the idea that such a regulation-free If you find you have time on your hands, here is environment might “attract illicit actors such as money launderers”. another entertaining activity to while away a few Richard Murphy goes further, writing that “many studies show that minutes with! freeports are widely associated with crime, tax evasion, money laundering Ethical Consumer has a new campaign to and smuggling”. encourage the government to impose a windfall This has led Fair Tax Mark to suggest the new proposals might be better tax on ‘Big Tech’ companies to help cover the called sleazeports, and that the Scottish Government’s current proposals for social costs of the pandemic’s impact. a glossier ‘Green Ports’ version is “an insult to intelligence”! You can now find a range of actions for More information about Fair Tax Mark’s work in this area is available ordinary consumers on our website. These here: https://fairtaxmark.net/fair-tax-mark-responds-to-government- include: consultation-on-freeports l A model letter to send to your MP to ask them to support the campaign. l Model emails and tweets to send to the companies Transparency for small businesses? involved, asking them to stop avoiding tax and to pay their way. Companies House is the name of the place where UK companies must, by We also have a new twitter handle law, file annual reports giving key details like how much money they have #TaxTechNow and who owns them. The UK government ran another consultation in January asking for More information at: www.ethicalconsumer. feedback on its suggestions to modernise what it does. Most interesting org/ethicalcampaigns/tax-justice/windfall- was its recognition that lots of people rely on its filings as they can find tax-campaign-big-technology-companies little to no information elsewhere, and its acceptance that the existing filing regime, which permits more than 90% of UK companies to file accounts that do not include any information on trading, profits or tax paid, are not fit for purpose. Richard Murphy, with the support of Fair Tax Mark, has researched and led a formal submission supporting this proposed move away from all forms of short-form accounts filing. In his own words: “If you are interested in tax justice, , fair government procurement, beating corruption, supporting local business, or simply protecting us all against the risk that limited liability creates then this is a massively important issue.” Ethical Consumer also made a submission supporting these proposals and noting how much its researchers rely on these filings to identify company ownership and the right level of ethical reporting to be required from smaller companies. More information on the consultation (now closed) is here: www.gov.uk/government/consultations/corporate-transparency- and-register-reform-improving-the-quality-and-value-of-financial- information-on-the-uk-companies-register

36 Ethical Consumer March/April 2021 NEWS Money Who funds arms sales used in the war on Yemen?

On 25th January protests took place far enough, the UK government has said around the world in solidarity with the nothing. The UK’s Campaign against the of arms companies, more than the ten people of Yemen. Since 2015, a Saudi- Arms Trade (CAAT) claims the UK has European banks combined. Being an led coalition has been bombing and sold Saudi Arabia £5.4 billion worth of investment company, it owns small blockading Yemen, killing hundreds of arms since the Yemen war began. amounts of lots of consumer companies, thousands and devastating the country. including: Deckers Shoes, Etsy, Next, In December 2020, the UN described What can consumers do? Tesco, Del Monte, Guess? jeans, Weetabix, the situation as “the world’s worst Where there is government inaction, TK Maxx, and Wolverine footwear (Hush humanitarian crisis”, estimating that consumers have a powerful role to play. Puppies, CAT, Merrel, Saucony). nearly a quarter of a million people have It’s usually difficult for consumers to exert For more about banks and the arms Sgt Donald R Allen © USAF / Master been killed and 24 million face the risk of their buying power on arms companies trade, see EC186. For more about famine in the coming months.1 Despite but in EC186, ‘Choosing a Bank with a protesting the war on Yemen from Stop the this, the crisis is rarely covered by much Moral Compass’, we covered the financial War coalition, Codepink, CND and CAAT, of the mainstream media. sector’s links to the arms trade, to which it see: https://caat.org.uk/homepage/stop- The global day of action made the provides loans and investment. arming-saudi-arabia/yemen-war-email- following demands: A report by Facing Finance, published your-mp/ l US and UK governments to stop in 2019, highlighted ten European banks weapons and war support for Saudi with some of the highest investments Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. in arms companies involved in selling Forests and finance l Lift the blockade on Yemen and open all arms to the Saudi coalition. This included land and sea ports. Lloyds, Barclays, Santander, ICICI and two More bad news about BlackRock. In l Restore and expand humanitarian aid investment companies which partly own his annual letter to CEOs across the for the people of Yemen.2 the Janus Henderson and Impax ethical world, Larry Fink, the Chief Executive of Joe Biden’s administration announced investment funds. BlackRock, warned companies that they a moratorium on US arms sales pending Moving your money away from banks need to show a plan to transition to a net- a review, just as we were going to press, and funds that support the arms trade is zero emissions by 2050. suspending the £17 billion sale of F-35 one action you can take in response to the However, a new report by Forest 500 fighter jets (pictured above) to the UAE crisis in Yemen. has shown that BlackRock is one of nearly and other multi-million deals with the One of these investment companies, 100 major financial firms that are ignoring Saudi regime. Whilst this hasn’t gone BlackRock, is one of the biggest funders tropical deforestation and providing $2.7 trillion that risks fuelling the climate and biodiversity crises. Carbon divested funds: financial performance Niki Mardas, the Executive Director of Global Canopy, the UK charity behind Carbon divested fund 5-year cumulative Ethiscore Forest 500, reacted to Mr Fink’s words performance to as of by stressing the narrow-sightedness of 26/01/21 09/2020 setting carbon reduction targets without Janus Henderson Global Sustainable Equity Fund 164.9 7 addressing deforestation, stating: “We BMO Responsible Global Equity 139.5 10.5 cannot solve the climate crisis without also tackling deforestation, and BlackRock still WHEB Sustainability 111.4 16 fails to address this issue in its portfolios. Triodos Pioneer Impact 110.0 16 BlackRock wields huge influence in the Jupiter Ecology 103.4 6.5 market and, if it were to set out a clear and ambitious policy on deforestation, it would EdenTree Amity International 86.6 7 send a clear message that this is an issue Quilter Cheviot Climate Assets* 66.50 6 that must be addressed.” Rathbone Ethical Corporate Bond 40.9 6 The report found that 95 of 150 top AXA Ethical Distribution 33.7 10 banks and institutional investors had not published polices to ensure that Kames Ethical Corporate Bond 22.8 5 the companies they finance are not Sarasin Sustainable Global Real Estate Equity 22.1 11 contributing to deforestation. This included Castlefield B.E.S.T Sustainable Income 8.4 13 four of the five largest asset managers: BlackRock, Vanguard, Fidelity Investments, ASI Global Equity Impact Data unavailable 6.5 and State Street. The report can be found at

Data from trustnet.com Data from IA Global (for comparison) 104.5 - forest500.org

*January 2021, data from quiltercheviot.com References: 1 news.un.org/en/story/2020/12/1078972 2 Following the publication of our guide to Ethical Funds in EC186, we have expanded this table to include all carbon divested funds as www.stopwar.org.uk/article/call-to-protest-world-says-no-to- identified by 3D Investing. war-on-yemen-25-jan-2021

ethicalconsumer.org 37 NEWS Boycotts VICTORY FOR STOP HATE FOR Calls for boycott of Beijing PROFIT SOCIAL MEDIA BOYCOTT Winter Olympics

Human rights groups and political leaders are calling for a boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing over the Chinese Government’s atrocities against Uyghur citizens in the Xinjiang region. The Chinese government is estimated to have held between 1 to 1.8 million people in detention and forced labour camps in the region – the largest internment of an ethnic and religious minority since World War II. In September, more than 160 human rights groups wrote to the head of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), urging them to reverse their decision to hold the 2022 Games in China, due to the state’s human rights abuses in Xinjiang, Tibet, Hong Kong and Inner Mongolia. China is perpetrating crimes against humanity, targeting Donald Trump has been suspended from Twitter, Facebook, ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang state, which include torture, YouTube and Instagram after inciting a violent uprising at forced separation of families, and compulsory sterilisations Washington’s Capitol Hill. The decision follows online pressure and abortions for Uyghur women.2 It has also arrested multiple led by the Stop Hate for Profit campaign, which also led a protestors and pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong over 1000-strong advertiser boycott of Facebook in July 2020 over recent months, effectively ending the region’s autonomy.3 hate speech on the platform. China annexed Tibet in the 1950s and has violently refused Both YouTube and Twitter have indefinitely suspended religious, cultural and political freedoms in the region since; Trump over risk of ‘further incitement of violence’. Facebook and is accused of ‘cultural genocide’ in Inner Mongolia (known and Instagram have temporarily suspended him awaiting a as Southern Mongolia by ethnic minority and independence final decision from the platforms’ Oversight Board. groups), where it has attempted to forcibly assimilate ethnic The Stop Hate for Profit campaign took to social media in minorities into Chinese Han culture.4 the week following the violent uprising demanding that the UK foreign minister Dominic Raab said that he would not rule platforms #BanTrumpforDemocracy. Trump supporters broke out a boycott of the Beijing Games. into the Capitol, the seat of US congress, after Trump told The IOC claims to be apolitical and states that it does not supporters to “fight like hell” against election results that he condone any chosen country’s actions. Yet critics have called on falsely claimed were “stolen”. the committee to repeat its 1964 human rights stance, when it “Trump has profoundly eroded our trust in democracy by banned South Africa from the Tokyo Olympics, over apartheid. using social media to relentlessly spread his big lie about a ‘stolen election’”, according to the campaign. “The platforms unconscionably permitted the president to catalyze violence and promote sedition in our nation’s capital.” The campaign stated in January that it would call for an advertising boycott of any social media platforms that failed to ban Trump before the presidential inauguration on January 20th. Trump has been impeached for a second time and charged with “incitement to insurrection”. Federal prosecutors say that the Trump supporters intended “to capture and assassinate elected officials”.

Businesses face boycotts after owners seen at Capitol riots Consumers are also boycotting local businesses in the US after owners were photographed at, or posted on social media about taking part in, the storming of the Capitol. MyPillow bedding, which is also sold in the UK, has been dropped by multiple retailers, after its CEO, Mike Lindell, supported Trump’s baseless claims of electoral fraud and No Rights No Games is a group of primarily Uyghur activists from encouraged the then President to “impose martial law” in around the world with the goal of closing China’s internment camp the seven battleground states won by Joe Biden during the system (holding 1-2 million Uyghurs) before China hosts the 2022 November election.1 Olympic Winter Games.

References: 1 www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/mypillow-boycott-mike-lindell-voter-fraud-b1789500.html 2 www.ethicalconsumer.org/fashion-clothing/brands-urged-take- action-forced-labour-uyghur-muslims-china 3 www.ethicalconsumer.org/money-finance/hsbc-backs-chinas-anti-democratic-legislation-hong-kong 4 www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/01/ inner-mongolia-protests-china-mandarin-schools-language

38 Ethical Consumer March/April 2021 NEWS Almeria campaign

TOMATO STRIKE SUCCESS

Workers at the company Fresh Tom Export declared an indefinite strike during a SAT union meeting in January. The tomato company is located in Pechina, Almeria, and mainly exports its tomatoes to the UK. According to SAT, Fresh Tom Export was involved in “serious breaches of labour law”.2 Workers refused to work until their salary was increased (among other demands). After ten days a successful agreement was reached between workers and the company. Workers will now receive an hourly wage of €7.28; temporary contracts will become fixed contracts; three fired workers will be rehired; working hours will be distributed fairly among employees; Solar panels bought with funds and workers will be entitled to a 20 from the Ethical Consumer minute break. crowdfunder.

Taken to court for installing solar panels? Christmas strikes

In July 2020, Ethical Consumer ran a crowdfunding campaign to provide emergency The Christmas period saw a wave of support during the first pandemic lockdown for migrant labourers working in the worker organising across the Almeria Almeria region of Southern Spain. We have been campaigning for a few years to region, with workers from the fruit and highlight the poor working conditions in the polytunnels there, which supply many of vegetable packing sector striking on the the fresh vegetables we see in UK supermarkets. 23rd, 24th, 26th and 28th of December. In December, a representative of the SAT Union in Huelva was threatened with legal The strikes were organised by the large charges over the installation of solar panels that were funded by our crowdfunding Spanish trade unions CCOO and UGT, campaign. but were also backed by a number of José Antonio Brazo says that local other smaller unions across the region, authorities are considering whether including SAT. to bring charges for alleged crimes in The strikes were called after two years relation to planning regulation. of failed negotiations between unions and “Some of the money from the employers over the regional agreement Ethical Consumer crowdfunder which governs workers’ rights and was used to buy photovoltaic solar working conditions. energy equipment, which provides Francisca Ramírez Oliver, the general light, mobile phone charging, and secretary of the UGT union stated, powers a communal freezer in the “Our objectives are basically to have a shantytowns. The four solar panels minimum wage and stop charging by the have improved the lives of migrants hour, and regulate the working day that – even if they’re not yet living the sometimes borders on slavery.”1 dignified life they deserve.” The strikes have been celebrated as SAT further commented, “The one of the first occasions where the major only crime that’s been committed unions have coordinated with SAT in is helping install solar panels in an recognition of the poor conditions in the immigrant shantytown. Solidarity sector. photos © SAT Huelva © SAT photos isn’t a crime.” Negotiations over the agreement are A ‘thank you’ from SAT Huelva. Brazo appeared in court on ongoing, and a union assembly on 8th 28 December, and told Ethical January agreed that further strikes would Consumer that both he and the solar PV installation company were due to be called be held until concessions were won by the back to court in a few months. workers. A strike planned for the end of January had to be cancelled due to the covid-19 References: 1 www.lavanguardia.com/vida/20201210/6109915/manipulado-almeriense-convoca-huelga-falta-convenio- colectivo.html 2 socsatalmeria.org/los-trabajadores-de-fresh-tom-export-se-declaran-en-huelga-indefinida pandemic.

ethicalconsumer.org 39 FEATURE Where to buy sports optics?

Shooting Wildlife III Our new report, ‘Shooting port optics, such as binoculars, spotting scopes and monoculars, WHO MAKES YOUR BINOCULARS, SPOTTING SCOPES AND OPTICS? Wildlife III’, helps birders are used by many wildlife and conservationists find watchers. They are also binocular and other sports Sessential pieces of equipment for optics from brands that conservationists, hunters and military don’t have links to the personnel. It is, therefore, no surprise that 90% of hunting industry or the the optics companies covered in our latest military, while taking their report continue to have links to hunting environmental commitments and 69% have links to the military and the arms industry. seriously. In addition, most don’t appear to ANNA CLAYTON gives her be proactively addressing their own brand recommendations, environmental and climate impacts despite appealing to wildlife watchers reviews the report’s findings and conservationists on both sides of the and laments a sector that is hunting debate. failing on many fronts.

An updated report by Ethical Consumer Research Association December 2020

Buying second hand is always recommended from an environmental point of view. If buying new, different ethical issues need to be weighed up. WHO Recommended companies to buy from are Canon, Olympus and Opticron as they could not be directly linked with the sport-hunting industry. However, of these companies, only Canon TO BUY has good environmental and carbon reporting and all of them had links to the military. The other six companies with weak links to sport hunting may also be a good choice: Celestron, Pentax, Kowa, Viking, Visionary, and Barr & Stroud. Of these companies, Pentax is FROM the only company with reasonable environment and carbon reporting. Viking, Visionary, and Barr & Stroud are the only companies without military links.

40 Ethical Consumer March/April 2021 of increased public scrutiny since hands – facilitating tech advancements Hunting tensions the publication of the last ‘Shooting in hunting and wildlife-watching Wildlife?’ report. 75% of the companies equipment. If hunting is well regulated and managed we researched have removed some Many of the optics companies covered under the guidance of ecologists, it photos, website sections or text in the ‘Shooting Wildlife III’ report can provide revenue for conservation references to hunting from their continue to have close ties with the projects while arguably helping to marketing work, and the number of military and the arms industry today. manage animal populations in a companies explicitly referencing ‘big- 69% of companies were found to supply ‘sustainable’ way. However, the reality game’ or trophy hunting have fallen optics or other imaging equipment to the can be far from this. Poor or corrupt by 2% since the last report (from 43% military directly and/or market their optic management can have disastrous (2016) to 40% (2018) to 38% (2020)). products for military or tactical use. For effects on ecosystems and can, in some For example, fewer pictures of trophy example, Leupold has been criticised for cases, lead to population decline and animals were found on Leupold’s website, its military links, specifically its supply of extinction. For example, a review of 176 and Nikon had removed references to sniper rifle scopes to the Israel Defense studies found that bird and mammal trophy hunting from much of its website Forces. The Portland Trail Blazers populations across the tropics had and social media profiles and ended basketball team ended a partnership declined by 58% and 83% respectively its sponsorship of all but one of its with the company in 2019 after protests as a result of hunting.1 corporate partners with links to sports against Leupold by organisations such Even a quota system (where the hunting. Bresser no longer mentioned as the Portland Democratic Socialists of number of animals killed is restricted) trophy hunting in the text on its website. America, Lutherans for Justice in the Holy can have unforeseen impacts. For (although the profiles of its pro-staff Land, Portland’s Resistance and Jewish example, if fewer animals are hunted, still featured pictures of recently killed Voice for Peace. it can result in those of a larger body or trophies such as deer heads and turkey Links were also found with the gun antler size being selected as trophies. tail fans). rights movement in the US. 28% of This often means killing the strongest This could be an important shift, companies were found to have industry males in an area, potentially distorting considering scientific evidence that these links with the National Rifle Association, mating patterns and reversing the natural kinds of hunting can pose a risk to animal while 10% (Beretta, Leupold and Vortex) evolution of a species, where natural populations. were deeply embedded in the world of predators often kill the weak, old and Three companies (Carson, Fujinon “hunting, shooting, public lands, the young. The implications are both short and Nikon) have also quietly withdrawn second amendment and good food”.3 and potentially very long-term, from from the riflescopes business, suggesting Beretta released a limited-edition altering population dynamics to the that the industry feels there is less public shotgun named Second Amendment transference of genes. support for its involvement in sports 687 EELL Classic at the 2017 NRA In addition, hunting animals for sport hunting. annual meeting, to celebrate the second or recreation is increasingly opposed The question is whether these changes amendment and its supporters.4 Its in the UK and by broader Western are a genuine move towards ‘wildlife- Steiner brand also used some imagery society (particularly amongst urban friendly’ optics brands, or if dwellers), especially when it is considered they are mostly a cosmetic ‘unnecessary’ or cruel. marketing exercise. None of This was perhaps symbolically them had stopped marketing highlighted by ‘Cecilgate’ – the global to hunters completely. (predominantly US and Europe) outrage, social media response and campaigning that followed the trophy shooting of a Military ‘celebrity’ Zimbabwean lion in 2015 by an American dentist and tourist.2 tensions Nonetheless, the complex relation Historically, optics between hunting and conservation plays manufacturers have had a role in ongoing support for hunting by close ties with the military optics companies: 90% of the companies and the firearms industry, reviewed in this report marketed at least including several of the some products for hunting and 69% companies in this report continue to have strong links to hunting, that were originally part of by selling riflescopes and/or marketing weapons manufacturing products for sports hunting. companies e.g., Beretta and Vista Outdoor. As the range and accuracy of rifles Shifts away from have expanded over the years, optics technologies sports hunting? have also advanced to While it’s true that ties between the facilitate increased accuracy companies and the hunting community of long-range shooting. A Steiner Optics Facebook post includes an image of the remain close, it’s interesting that These innovations have punisher skull – imagery related to militia and white many seem to be feeling the pressure then passed into citizen’s supremacy.

ethicalconsumer.org 41 FEATURE

related to militia and white supremacy in its marketing.5,6 These ties raise some interesting ethical questions for 21st century wildlife watchers and conservationists – particularly considering the military’s complex and widespread environmental impacts on ecosystems and wildlife around the world, not to mention the millions of human deaths and human rights abuses experienced during wartime. Catherine Lutz, a professor on war and its impacts at the Watson Institute for International Studies describes the inherent ‘ecocide’ of war in an article that explores the environmental impacts of modern-day warfare: “in the military ‘the environment goes out the window even outside of war’... The maintenance of standing armies just to counter the threat of war exerts enormous strain on 7 A still from Steiner’s ‘defining moments’ video. “Some moments only come once in a environmental resources”. lifetime”. Environmental Who is Swarovski? most high-powered hunting equipment impacts in extreme places around the planet, Unfortunately, optics companies’ Swarovski Optik was founded in 1949 as host Dean Capuano travels the globe approaches to managing their own in Austria and is part of the bigger in search of trophies that are on every environmental and climate impacts Swarovski group, a family-owned hunter’s bucket list. Catch the action only often fall short of those required to meet company founded in 1895 by Daniel on Outdoor Channel.”8 the science-based targets agreed in Paris Swarovski. The Swarovski group works Swarovski also participated in various in 2015. across a range of different industries hunting and arms fairs, including 83% of companies reviewed in including jewellery and other luxury the (cancelled) 2020 National Rifle the ‘Shooting Wildlife III’ report were items like chandeliers, perfumes, optics, Association exhibition, which would have considered to have poor environmental gemstones, concrete sawing and drilling run alongside its annual meeting.9 and carbon reporting, either because equipment (through the Tyrolit brand), they had no sustainability reporting at entertainment, and road-safety products all (52%) or because they reported in (through Swareflex). Cruelty-free optics very general terms, without publishing Swarovski Optik produces long-range environmental reduction targets and optics for hunting, nature observation, Information from all three ‘Shooting concrete plans to lower greenhouse gas and birding as well as travel and leisure. It Wildlife?’ reports has now been emissions (31%). also published a print hunting magazine consolidated into a new website: Of the five companies with reasonable called Closer. crueltyfreeoptics.co.uk environmental reporting (Canon, In its policy on hunting, Swarovski The website supports existing and Fujifilm, Nikon, Ricoh and Zeiss), four Optik states it “supports hunting if it potential optics users in exploring the were considered to have good carbon is carried out sustainably, responsibly, issues surrounding the sports optics reporting – publishing climate change legally, and in harmony with nature [and] industry whilst offering advice for buyers mitigation strategies that were in line considers it to be its duty to take care of based on their own ethical views. This with international agreements such as the the environment, protect nature, and includes looking in more detail at some Paris Agreement. safeguard biodiversity”. challenging subjects that include trophy All four were Japanese electronics Dean Capuano, the Swarovski hunting, animal rights, illegal practices companies, and so it’s likely that they Optik North America Director of within the shooting industry (such did well because of Japan’s mandatory Communication, continued to host the as bird of prey persecution), military greenhouse gas accounting and reporting hunting show Swarovski Optik Quests links and the pro-gun movement, and system and its support for developing that was aired on The Outdoor Channel. environmental credentials. science-based decarbonisation targets. “SWAROVSKI OPTIK Quests tests the

Refernces: 1 Lopez et al (2017) The impact of hunting on tropical mammal and bird populations. Science 356:180–183 pdfs.semanticscholar.org/47a3/ f1d848466466f1761bd70a29fd3871091b5e.pdf 2 Mkono, Muchazondida. “The age of digital activism in tourism: Evaluating the legacy and limitations of the Cecil anti-trophy hunting movement.” Journal of Sustainable Tourism 26.9 (2018): 1608-1624 3 https://soundcloud.com/vortexnationpodcast/ep-151-identical-draw 4 https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=b5YBCMOpRf0, viewed on 19 November 2020 5 www.facebook.com/SteinerOpticsUSA/photos/a.378984313660/10157871462663661 6 https://www.theguardian.com/ books/2020/jun/11/how-do-you-stop-the-far-right-using-the-punisher-skull-make-it-a-black-lives-matter-symbol 7 www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/nov/06/whats-the- environmental-impact-of-modern-war 8 www.outdoorchannel.com/show/swarovski-optik-quests/about/1639, viewed on 9 November 2020 9 s15.a2zinc.net/clients/NRA/nraam2020/Public/ exhibitors.aspx, viewed on 9 November 2020

42 Ethical Consumer March/April 2021 ETHICAL CONSUMER Give a gift subscription Inspire someone with the ONLY gift of a year’s subscription £29.95 to Ethical Consumer. PER_____ YEAR And give a gift of an olive tree to Palestine

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ethicalconsumer.org 43 NEWS Lush Spring Prize Apply to the 2021 Lush Spring Prize

On 5th February 2021, Lush Cosmetics and Ethical Consumer launched the fourth Lush Spring Prize – a biennial £200,000 fund and other support activities – that aims to support communities, organisations and businesses around the world that are working towards environmental and social regeneration. The Spring Prize celebrates those that are increasing the capacity of communities and societies to thrive in harmony with nature and each other. Rather than reducing impacts and maintaining the earth’s damaged systems, the Lush Spring Prize showcases work that seeks to heal and grow; celebrating those that are taking a holistic approach to overcoming environmental, social and economic challenges. It aims to raise the profile of regeneration and its potential to move livelihoods and economies beyond 'sustainability'. In the 1990s, sustainability became a buzzword. A lot of amazing work has been done to develop systems that meet the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. But the word ‘sustainable’ has been used a lot to describe situations which prolong ‘business as usual’ and maintain inequalities. Many environments and societies are still degraded and need more than sustaining – they need regenerating. Alongside the prize fund, the Spring Prize facilitates skill share and training events which for 2021, will be held online in the run up to COP26.

Prize details English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Since 1991, Timbaktu has worked Arabic and Japanese. We may also be able with 20,763 families on community-led The 2021 Spring Prize will award at to support applications in other languages conservation, nature restoration, and least 11 prizes across the following 4 – just contact the team via the website. social and economic empowerment. The categories: Entries for the 2021 Prizes close on the Collective’s work showcases viable models l Intentional Award (up to £10,000) ... to 31st March 2021 10.00 GMT. for ‘making markets work for the poor’, four great new ideas and projects up to 1 and the environment. year old, to help build knowledge and a Siddharth Rao, Director of Ecology and solid foundation from which to grow. Who has been funded Conservation at Timbaktu commented: l Young Award (up to £20,000) ... to “Nothing is more important than three projects or organisations that in previous years? maintaining a healthy relationship with are 1-5 years old, to help develop their More than 33 organisations have been nature and the environment. As a society, environmental and social regeneration funded since the Spring Prize launched we have all but forgotten this in our quest work. in 2017 – all of which are listed on the for development and monetary returns. l Established Award (up to £25,000) ... Spring Prize website alongside shortlisted The Spring Prize reiterates that collective to two organisations that have worked project profiles. https://springprize.org/ action and community-led efforts are towards regeneration for 5+ years, to help the-prizes valued and cherished.” share knowledge and inspire more people Funded and shortlisted projects For more information and to apply, and ideas. demonstrate the variety of approaches visit the Lush Spring Prize website (www. l Influence Award (up to £25,000) ... that can be taken to create a more springprize. to two local, national or international regenerative society: from restoring org). You can organisations and networks that have a degraded landscapes to creating also follow core focus on campaigning or lobbying platforms that give a voice to the progress to influence policy, regulation or public marginalised communities. of the prize opinion in support of regeneration. For example, the Timbaktu Collective on Facebook, Applications are welcomed from received an award for their work in Twitter and anywhere in the world. the drought-prone and ecologically Instagram – just To support this, the website contains challenged Anantapur District in South look up Lush information and accepts applications in India. Spring Prize.

44 Ethical Consumer March/April 2021 NEWS Beyond Consumerism From advertising to a craft economy?

Our Beyond Consumerism page seeks out ideas big and small, for rethinking economic systems and reducing reliance on corporations and money. In November 2020, London South Bank University ran a Consumption, Economics, Education and Wellbeing event. One of the speakers was DR. HELEN POWELL, Associate Professor in Creative Advertising, who we caught up with afterwards.

You have a background in working for object that makes it a challenge to part with it. advertising agencies, and now lecture For example, if we were to make our own to students who want to go into the clothes we would be far less likely to want to industry. But in the last few years part with them so quickly afterwards. you have shifted yourself, and your The craft economy has been revived message, in light of the climate by social media, but I would like to see a crisis. How do your colleagues and wider dissemination of DIY skills for the students receive your attempts home and clothing. The popularity of to embed sustainability into the programmes such as ‘The Repair Shop’ subject? (BBC) shows that there is an appetite for it.

Sustainability can no longer be overlooked You say we need to shift from endless when it comes to courses in marketing, growth, to an economy based on need, advertising and PR. The new generation of and thriving in balance. What signs do you students want to see positive change in terms see of this kind of economy? What gives you of how material culture impacts the world, and they hope? respond positively to briefs asking them to explore how brands can behave in a more sustainable manner. I worry that the idea of a circular economy is becoming distorted. Many now see reselling as the key to circularity. What In a recent talk you showed a video of the Ecover advert we need to see is a model whereby that which is bought, is used, ‘Laundry Against Landfill’, which presents washing and then repurposed, rather than clothes as a protest against waste. A man sits on a simply replaced. washing machine and talks about how much clothing goes But the students I teach to landfill. His voice is quivering with the shaking of give me hope. I see them the machine, making his message seem more emotional, working with brands and heartfelt and profound. Does this represent a new opening up the agenda direction in advertising? of responsibility that, previously, many The issue of authenticity in advertising is interesting, and brands have shied this is a challenging example. Until now, most advertising has away from. been aspirational, but we are starting to see more adverts now, like this, that engage with consumerism’s wider implications. However, advertising alone cannot bring about change. Brands need to address the common culture of encouraging consumers to buy for the sake of buying.

You talked about how making your own clothes can lengthen the gap between wanting and having, and give more meaning to the items we have, because we have produced them ourselves and therefore have a deeper relationship to them. I suppose this could also apply to growing food or even non-physical things we may buy, like entertainment. Do you think people would benefit from replacing more of consumerism in this way? Active investment in creating our own objects means we are Lockdown has forced us to spend more time at home. It is clear likely to keep them longer, that entertainment channels like Netflix have flourished. But says Helen. “Its true, I am going to own this jumpsuit consuming such content is all about immediate gratification. forever!” said Lisa, who These extreme conditions also offer us an opportunity to learn has been making clothes at new skills which can be translated into a post-pandemic world. home while on furlough, and shared her progress on the There is something so rewarding about creating something Creative Diary Club, one of out of nothing. It is this active investment – in using our free many Facebook groups that has sprung up during the pandemic. time creatively – that allows us to develop an attachment to the © Lisa Cameron

ethicalconsumer.org 45 NEWS The UK ethical market EthicalEthical Consumerism markets in continuethe Pandemic toPre-lockdown grow vs. Post-lockdown rapidly behaviour change Data is based on the survey responses found in the table on page 3.

ROB‘Post-lockdown’ HARRISON data refers to the netexplains score between thosethe who latest intend to do figures more and those fromthat intend Ethical Consumer’sto do less of the activity inannual question. survey of the state of the ethical market.

Pre- Post- lockdown lockdown

Ethical Consumerism in the Pandemic

Reduce

OTH_COP42167_Ethical Consumer Report.indd 1 21/12/2020 12:29 plastic Second hand 33% Second Reduce hand 37% plastic 35% 52% t the end of December 2020, Public transport Ethical Consumer, in conjunction Public transport with Co-op Food, released their 20% Plant-based 8% alternatives annual report on the state of the Plant-based 20% alternatives Aethical market in the UK. Fairtrade 28% Because statistics can take a while 15% to be compiled and published, this Fairtrade Local Shopping report covered the period just before the 27% 40% Local pandemic started. Naturally, with most Shopping people more intrigued to know what Reduce 58% Cycle/walk energy Organic Reduce has been happening to ethical product Cycle/walk Organic 28% 34% energy 15% sales since the various lockdowns, we 44% 49% 17% conducted some extra research this year which appears in the second section Behaviour change survey of % of respondents undertaking purchase or activity pre and below. post lockdown.

Growth in 2019 ethical investments accounting for much We also conducted some surveys on of this change. consumers’ perception of their own ethical The main report (see table opposite) choices since the pandemic began. Between calculated a 12.9% increase in total sales 40% and 60% of people felt that they were across all of our datasets, which was an Buying ethically in increasingly, and perhaps understandably: increase of almost £11 billion. This was l buying more from local shops during a period when consumer prices OTH_COP42167_Ethicalthe Consumerpandemic Report.indd 4 l reducing energy consumption 21/12/2020 12:29 generally rose by only 1.8%. Available figures since the pandemic l avoiding single-use plastic The biggest increase was seen in our began seem to suggest that, rather than l donating to charities, and Green Home category which saw an slow down, ethical sales appear to have l walking and cycling more. increase of over 45%. Much of this was increased even faster since then. Slightly lower, but still significant numbers, due to a spike in Green Electricity sales l Fairtrade sales increased 13.7% also reported greater buying of ethical with big companies moving customers between October 2019 and October products over concern about issues like onto renewable tariffs (see page 12 in this 2020 (ahead of total grocery sales, which corporate human rights abuses and tax issue). increased by 9.4%). avoidance. We also recorded a significant growth l Organic sales increased by 19% in the More details about all this research in the Travel & Transport category, which 12 weeks ending May 2020. and the surveys that sit behind it are stemmed from a large increase in sales of l Sales of meat-free and dairy-free available on the new Research Hub area electric and hybrid cars. products increased by 25% and 28% of our website here: https://research. The Ethical Money sector posted its respectively in the 12 weeks ending April ethicalconsumer.org/research-hub/ largest year of growth since 2010, with 2020. ethical-consumer-markets-report

46 Ethical Consumer March/April 2021 NEWS EthicalEthical ConsumerismThe Consumerism UK in ethical the inUK, the 2019 UK, market 2019

Ethical Food and DrinkEthical Food and Drink 2010 £m 20182010 £m £m 20192018 £m £m % Growth2019 £m 2018-2019 Organic Organic 1,475 2,2081,475 2,2982,208 2,2984.1 Fairtrade Fairtrade 1,094 1,6031,094 1,6711,603 1,6714.2 Rainforest Alliance Rainforest Alliance 1,198 3,2431,198 3,2883,243 3,2881.4 Free Range Eggs Free Range Eggs 419 758419 873758 87315.2 Vegetarian & Plant-basedVegetarian Alternatives & Plant-based Alternatives 541 1,000541 1,1141,000 1,11411.4 RSPCA Assured (FreedomRSPCA Food) Assured (Freedom Food) 573 2,190573 2,3782,190 2,3788.6 Sustainable Fish Sustainable Fish 121 962121 899962 899-6.5 SUBTOTAL SUBTOTAL 5,421 11,9645,421 12,52111,964 12,5214.7

Green Home Green Home 2010 £m 20182010 £m £m 20192018 £m £m 2019% Growth £m Energy Efficient AppliancesEnergy Efficient Appliances 2,068 3,0032,068 2,9983,003 2,998-0.2 Energy Efficient BoilersEnergy Efficient Boilers 2,332 3,7132,332 4,6443,713 4,64425.1 Micro Generation Micro Generation 249 138249 136138 136-1.4 Energy Efficient LightEnergy Bulbs Efficient Light Bulbs 43 14943 173149 17316.1 Ethical Cleaning ProductsEthical Cleaning Products 42 5942 6859 6815.3 Sustainable Timber andSustainable Paper Timber and Paper 1,655 1,3081,655 1,4991,308 1,49914.6 Buying for Re-use Buying for Re-use 823 943823 771943 771-18.2 Green Electricity TariffsGreen Electricity Tariffs 432 974432 4,836974 4,836396.5 SUBTOTAL SUBTOTAL 7,644 10,2877,644 15,12510,287 15,12547.0

Eco-travel & TransportEco-travel & Transport 2010 £m 20182010 £m £m 20192018 £m £m 2019% Growth £m Alternative Fuel VehiclesAlternative Fuel Vehicles n/a 3,599n/a 5,0533,599 5,05340.4 Tax Band A Cars Tax Band A Cars 846 1,282846 1,282733 733-42.8 Bicycles Bicycles 795 925795 940925 9401.6 SUBTOTAL SUBTOTAL 1,641 5,8061,641 6,7265,806 6,72615.8

Ethical Personal ProductsEthical Personal Products 2010 £m 20182010 £m £m 20192018 £m £m 2019% Growth £m Ethical Clothing Ethical Clothing 63 5063 5350 536.0 Buying for Re-use – ClothingBuying for Re-use – Clothing 321 734321 727734 727-1.0 Ethical Cosmetics Ethical Cosmetics 525 832525 882832 8826.0 SUBTOTAL SUBTOTAL 909 1,616909 1,6621,616 1,6622.8

Community Community 2010 £m 20182010 £m £m 20192018 £m £m 2019% Growth £m Local Shopping Local Shopping 2,330 3,4772,330 3,4203,477 3,420-1.6 Charity Shops Charity Shops 359 732359 756732 7563.3 Charity Donations Charity Donations 3,040 7,2603,040 7,1387,260 7,138-1.7 SUBTOTAL SUBTOTAL 5,729 11,4695,729 11,31411,469 11,314-1.4

TOTAL TOTAL 21,344 41,14221,344 47,348 41,142 47,34815.1

Boycotts Boycotts 2010 £m 20182010 £m £m 20192018 £m £m 2019% Growth £m Food and Drink Food and Drink 1,084 1,6271,084 1,5651,627 1,565-3.8 Transport Transport 1,068 2,0851,068 2,1602,085 2,1603.6 Personal Personal 333 859333 591859 591-31.2 SUBTOTAL SUBTOTAL 2,485 4,5712,485 4,3164,571 4,316-5.6

Ethical Money Ethical Money 2010 £m 20182010 £m £m 20192018 £m £m 2019% Growth £m Ethical Banking Ethical Banking 9,043 19,1199,043 19,66519,119 19,6652.9 Ethical Investment Ethical Investment 11,300 19,13811,300 23,60219,138 23,60223.3 Credit Unions Credit Unions 1,552 2,7741,552 2,9942,774 2,9947.9 Ethical Share Issues Ethical Share Issues 52 23052 230230 2300 SUBTOTAL SUBTOTAL 21,947 41,26221,947 46,49141,262 46,49112.7 Building Societies Building Societies 262,382 275,251262,382 275,2514.9

GRAND TOTAL GRAND TOTAL 45,776 86,97545,776 98,155 86,975 98,15512.9

ethicalconsumer.org 47

OTH_COP42167_Ethical ConsumerOTH_COP42167_Ethical Report.indd 5 Consumer Report.indd 5 21/12/2020 12:29 21/12/2020 12:29 ETHICAL CONSUMER Letters

Ed: The notion of ‘engaging’ with most consumers would not realise that companies rather than avoiding them is by buying bananas from Riverford, good in theory, but charities should be Abel & Cole, Banacol, Morrisons, Co- realistic about differences in size and op and Booths, they are in fact buying the likelihood of exerting real influence Fyffes bananas. For the aforementioned when using this reasoning. The case of companies, we are the sole suppliers. Amazon, whose systematic and planned You award the highest rating to Eko Oke erosion of the tax bases of countries bananas, who source from Panama and they operate in, means that it has Ecuador, from the exact same farms as become parasitic on human societies. Its Fyffes. And finally, the ranking you give Smile programme is a smoke screen and our bananas relates to a very complicated should be avoided. trade union issue on our melon farms in Honduras, not our banana farms. Roughly 90% of our Honduran melon workers are Sugars and unionised and have collective bargaining neonicotinoids agreements in place. What an astounding array of sugary Ed: Like Ethical Investment research drinks in EC 188! What happened to a groups globally, we see corporate glass of water when you’re thirsty! In responsibility as something which has to 70 years, I’ve never got out of the habit. operate at the level of company groups While you don’t mention the source of if it is to make any sense. We do credit sugar in all these drinks (cane or beet), companies within such groups if their it’s worth making the connection to the policies are better than their parents. Amazon and WWF fact that the government has followed Nevertheless, this can appear unfair in France, Germany and 10 other EU large conglomerates or retailers where I am a supporter of World Wide Fund member states by giving emergency (my controversies stretch into most areas for Nature and was rather surprised italics) permission for farmers to use a we rate. Fyffes, on its own, might have recently, indeed shocked, when I banned pesticide to fight a virus which an Ethiscore of around 10 instead of received an email update from them ‘could wipe out home-grown sugar Sumitomo (the parent’s) 2. We use and discovered their alliance with production’, i.e. neonicotinoids, which narrative to inform consumers when Amazon, or rather Amazon Smile. In kill bees. Is this not madness? we feel that the rankings need to be an effort to be an ethical consumer I Christine (By Email) considered in such a way. understood Amazon to be one of the worst offenders and boycotted them. Ed: It is madness. According to I contacted WWF about my concerns Unearthed, Greenpeace UK’s journalism Waitrose Duchy and received a thought-provoking project, at least 67 different “emergency response. “Large corporations are authorisations” have been issued by chocolate responsible for large-scale impacts EU countries for outdoor use of these When the latest issue of Ethical on nature and the environment and chemicals. The UK’s recent approval, Consumer drops through my letter box cannot be excluded from efforts to and our call for consumers to avoid I pick it up with a heavy heart because reduce harmful impacts. Corporations Silver Spoon sugar in response, is I know it will contain more bad news of also have great potential to reduce their covered in more detail on page 6. the way companies are exploiting their impacts, change industry, supplier and workforce and the World as a whole. This consumer practices and exert positive is until I start reading it and I get the influence on government and policy and Fyffes’ response to our lovely comforting feeling of remembering decision-making forums.” I did think there are other likeminded people this surprising new relationship would banana guide (EC 183) out there and my shoulders lift, and I be something along the lines of ‘if you Ethical Consumer’s approach to ranking continue with my ideals for better times can’t beat them, join them’ but I suppose bananas by brand is very misleading. and a fairer world. I hadn’t really thought about how it could Firstly, you rank Fyffes according to a While first flicking through the magazine work in a positive way, other than the rating bestowed on our parent company; and quickly checking the chocolate obvious; helping to raise much needed a company that owns over 800 other product guide table, a question funds. There is more about WWF’s companies, including mining, pet occurred to me: Why does Waitrose corporate relationships on their website, food, chemicals, real estate and other Duchy chocolate get better marks for which makes for interesting reading. industries that have nothing to do with ‘Environmental Reporting’, ‘Human Yet I wonder what Ethical Consumer the production of tropical fruit and Rights’, ‘Irresponsible Marketing’ and has to say about this, as you seem to vegetables. Each one of those companies ‘Anti-Social Finance’ than Waitrose Fair encourage readers to avoid/boycott ‘bad is managed and run independently. Trade chocolate? Surely they are both companies’? I am trying to do the right Fyffes does not manufacture; we do manufactured for and sold by the same thing, but now I am just confused! not do animal testing or any of the parent company. Lisa (By Email) other things you claim we do. Secondly, Darryl (By Email)

48 Ethical Consumer March/April 2021 ETHICAL CONSUMER Letters

Ed: Waitrose Duchy Originals is a Unaccountable app- encouragement to others. I have made partnership between two companies – many changes in my life both before and Waitrose and Duchy Originals Limited. based banks since becoming a member, both for the The latter is a wholly owned subsidiary I write in relation to the Current Account sake of the planet, and its people. It’s of The Prince of Wales’s Charitable guide in issue 186. I think the ratings not always been plain sailing though. Foundation. That is why we parent table for Current accounts belies the For example, I have had many problems Waitrose Duchy Originals 50-50 between issues raised on pages 16-17, including with online purchases since changing the two companies. Revolut’s lack of FSCS cover, lack of to Triodos Bank. I am not looking for ethical commitments from Monzo, and someone to blame here, and I firmly ownership links to individuals with believe in what Triodos are doing. I just Make your own oat questionable political links. These think it would be nice to be able to chat unaccountable app-based banks seem with other, likeminded people and share milk nonsensical to me, as all main banks experiences, whether they be good or It was interesting to read your article offer an app with very similar features, bad. about Oatly’s Oat Milk and alternative with the bonus of branches in many Forums are a great way to connect brands. It’s so easy to make your own areas for accessing coin change, and with people though the internet is a and is a lot cheaper. Home-made milk cashing cheques, among other services bit of a minefield of information and can be stored in a reusable glass bottle (and pay local business rate taxes). I disinformation. A forum for paid-up or jar and avoids the disposal of cartons would urge all readers to choose one of members would be a relatively safe which, although can be recycled, aren’t the EC recommended bank brands with space to share experiences. all that environmentally friendly. I make branches. Dylan (By Email) mine as follows: Mark (By email) l 75g of porridge oats soaked for 6-8 Ed: We used to have a forum on our hours in enough water to cover. website, but we found it was underused l Strain oats through a sieve and retain Forum anyone? and received a lot of spam. We now use excess liquid for drinking. the usual social media platforms and l Place oats in a food processor or I would find it really helpful if there encourage readers to discuss issues blender and add about 500ml of water. was an online discussion forum for there. However, if there is demand for a l Add flavouring if required. I add a members of Ethical Consumer to discuss forum or similar, then maybe we will re- teaspoon of vanilla custard powder, but the issues raised in the magazine consider the idea. Readers, please let us you could add vanilla essence or syrup if and provide inspirational stories and know if this would interest you! liked. l Blend for about 30 seconds. l Strain through a sieve and transfer the liquid in a glass bottle or jar and store in fridge ready for drinking or using with cereals. Here’s the best though. You can still eat We welcome readers’ letters. Letters may be edited for reasons of space or clarity. If you do not want letters the oats such as to make pasties or just or emails to be published, please mark them ‘Not for as porridge. So, the milk has cost very publication’. Our address is on page 3, or email us at little. [email protected] Stewart (By Email)

ethicalconsumer.org 49 INSIDE VIEW The Great Brexit Fiasco

Now that Brexit’s finally happened, what’s the impact on the UK’s ethical consumer market? asks SIMON BIRCH.

bumps in the road as a consequence of leaving the EU. “These aren’t bumps in the road, they are permanent obstacles to trading with the EU for small and medium enterprises,” replies Tawadey. “Big businesses will always come out OK as they have the resources to adapt and can throw money at finding solutions. It’s the smaller businesses like ours that are most affected.” Other small ethical businesses such as Flaya, which makes organic and vegan perfumes, have been hit in an unexpected way. “We don’t sell our perfumes in mainland Europe, but we do have stockists in Ireland, both north and south of the border,” explains Laura Collings. “In order to sell any cosmetic products there, we now have to have an ‘agent’ who resides in Europe and is responsible for maintaining documentation. As a micro family business, we cannot possibly afford to pay someone to do this for us. Sadly, we will probably have to withdraw from Ireland entirely.” Susie Hewson who runs Natracare which makes ethical sanitary products rejects the calls from Boris Johnson to focus her efforts on the global market: “The EU is my next-door neighbour,” says Hewson. Pro-EU demonstrators in London in March 2019 warning against Brexit’s impact. © Beataaldridge | Dreamstime.com © Beataaldridge “If I want to sell something easily to a market that wants to buy my product s the millions who marched tariffs on all exports. and it’s literally next door to me, why and campaigned against Brexit However, it’s the hundreds of small, would I ignore that neighbour and take a warned, there’s no good news pioneering companies that make up long-distance journey to a country on the to Brexit. And when it comes the majority of the UK’s thriving ethical other side of the world at greater cost and Ato the UK’s ethical consumer market, business community who are now taking difficulty?” like virtually all other sectors of the a direct Brexit hit. Like many businesses, Kiran Tawadey economy, there’s only least-bad news. “It’s a nightmare,” states Kiran is now having to make difficult decisions There were audible sighs of relief from Tawadey bluntly. and ultimately she may have to abandon the country’s burgeoning organic export As the founder of Hampstead Tea, the UK entirely and base the company in market with the signing of the Brexit one of the UK’s leading ethical tea Europe: trade deal on Christmas Eve, which also companies, Tawadey is now having to “No one would advocate jeopardising guaranteed equivalency for three years face the brutal reality of Brexit and its a market of 400 million people in the EU for UK organic products. mountain of additional bureaucracy and compared to remaining in a falling and The Fairtrade movement was similarly costs, a situation confronting all the small more impoverished UK market of 70 relieved with the signing of the deal as a ethical businesses contacted by Ethical million,” says Tawadey. no-deal scenario would have led to tariffs Consumer. “Already several food businesses on a wide range of Fairtrade goods, with “The new red tape and additional have moved their operations to cheaper, producers in countries ranging from costs will amount to somewhere between more efficient locations [in the EU] and Nicaragua to Ghana ultimately picking up £70,000 to £100,000 a year which of are actually very pleased with how it is the tab. course eats into our profit margin,” says working,” continues Tawadey, adding Plus, whilst the UK’s electric car Tawadey whose business is now booming that: “the UK may find that it has literally industry was reassured that they’d across Europe, which represents 30% of shot itself in both feet.” escaped being clobbered by tariffs, they her total market. A longer version of this article is on our now face a frantic three-years to source Tawadey is dismissive of Brexit’s website: www.ethicalconsumer.org all their batteries from either within the cheerleaders who claim that the UK or the EU to avoid being slapped with additional red tape is little more than @SimonBirchSays

50 Ethical Consumer March/April 2021 Organic Fair Trade Vegan Palm oil free Soy free Gluten free Ethically, Socially & Environmentally responsible 100% made in Ecuador (in origin)

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